Gerald's Game (2017)

Stephen King's books are hit or miss when adapted and this one is a big miss. I have not read the book yet, but I have read many of the early stuff, from Carrie to Misery. Shawshank Redemption is the best film, closely followed by Dead Zone and The Green Mile. A woman and her husband have a little getaway to try to rekindle their failing marriage and the man handcuffs his better half to the bed. He pops a blue pill and promptly drops dead. Pfizer may have a lawsuit on its' hands here. The following hour and a half are a drag as the woman has long and tedious conversations with her dead husband and with a version of herself. A bad relationship with dad are shown through flashbacks and none of it works. I was bored to tears.

Fmovies: I've read the book and thought it was nothing special. After reading it I thought it would never be filmed as it's basically 400 pages of a woman handcuffed to a bed. It would make for a boring film, right? And it does.

It starts good, does nothing for an hour, then gets back on track. It is faithful to the book but that is where the problem lies. Well made, good acting but when nothing happens for an hour except flashbacks to other events then it becomes a struggle. Basically, it's an hour too long. Cut the boring hour long rambling and you will have a good film.

As it is, this one will test your patience.

One of the best Stephen king adaptations I've watched.Carla Gugino plays a really remarkable performance. I am so impressed while watching the film. The movie is as attractive as the book. I hope Netflix will make more Stephen King adaptations. I loved it very much. And the form of handling child abuse was also very sensitive and subtle.

Gerald's Game fmovies. This is a step up from your usual horror NetFlix productions and especially from other Stephen King translations. I mean it was a bomb! And in the good way.

So the movie itself has that 127 Hours touch, but far, far better than expected. And without spoiling it to you, I have to say Gerald's Game makes the most of everything. Not one detail is left untouched, the usage of the entire environment, memories makes for a terrific viewing experience.

You'll be fed tension, scares, confusion, hope and denial, a beautiful game indeed that you just have to be part of. And let me say one more thing, the ending, that was just brilliant. The cherry on the cake. The cold beer after a long hard day. Simply put: RECOMMENDED!

Cheers!

Wasn't sure what to rate this movie, I had so many mixed emotions. I wanted to like it much more than I actually did. The premise, the reviews and the beginning of the movie all gave me high hopes that unfortunately deflated the longer the movie went on. By the end, it felt like a complete dumpster fire. The ending was the worst ending I've seen in a movie in a long time, and it destroyed a lot of what was enjoyable in the film. I know everyone is praising the actors performances, especially the main actress, but it did nothing for me. That being said, I do still enjoy what this movie was trying to be and I felt like like it had so much potential, which is what makes it even all the more disappointing. It did manage to get under my skin on a couple of occasions so at least it was successful in that department I guess. Maybe I'll have Moreno appreciation for the movie if I read the book and rewatch it.

Gerald's Game was surprisingly more introspective and less gruesome than I imagined (except one particularly cringe-worthy scene). From a viewer who didn't read the Stephen King novel the film was based upon, I went into the Netflix original prepared to be disturbed. The film doesn't waste time getting you to the meat of the story. From the start Carla Gugino gives an emotionally powerful performance as Jessie – a mentally abused victim struggling to repair a failing marriage - that sets the tone for the rest of the film. The reluctance she shows toward her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) forces you to never sit comfortably as the plot begins to be painted.

One of the great strengths of this movie was answering the questions you were going to ask before you asked them. Understanding from the beginning that Jessie was to end up handcuffed to a bed throughout the entirety of the film already had me questioning her inability to escape. As soon as you see her situation play out and begin to think of her options, the writers provided answers as to why that isn't possible in a unique and believable fashion. With the multitude of challenges she has to overcome she is forced to relive her disturbing past, which in-turn must help her overcome her shackled state if she is to even have a chance of surviving.

The use of symbolism in this film is constant, but so much so that at times it seems to spell it out for you, or literally tell you. I felt the comparisons between her current situation and her past was a bit too blunt. I would've called for a little less hand-holding and a bit more mystery surrounding the connections that were made between the men in her life. Yet one of the most obvious symbols - the blood- red eclipse – was one that surprised me the most as its representation transforms into a powerful message of strength.

The anchor for this film was Carla Gugino and her amazingly powerful performance with a great showing from co-star Bruce Greenwood. The dialogue and thought process that unfolded from the two kept me emotionally entwined in the story and eager to find out what would happen next. Along with fantastic performers, Gerald's Game was made better with the subtlety of the soundtrack and cinematography. I was more impressed at the times where there was no music playing at all, which seemed often and was appropriate. It built suspense and kept focus on the current scene when all the viewers were left with was the disturbing sounds of her struggle. The eclipse as mentioned was a favorite of mine. The deep red ring emphasized the horror of events unfolding, yet transformed with the character and began something greater.

Even after the movie was finished I found myself thinking over the message that was left for the viewers to contemplate. It was one that I didn't expect and was glad to see at the same time. Gerald's Game was a fantastic physiological thriller that never had me shaking my head in un-believability. I enjoyed the restraint of music in key moments, and was enthralled by the situation presented. This makes two Stephen King adaptations that have nailed the difficult process of transforming a story from a book to film. JordanRoss gives Gerald's Game:

8.1/10