Recently, while scouring Netflix, I ran across a “drama/horror/thriller” movie called “Gerald’s Game.” The description reads: “A woman accidentally kills her husband during a kinky game. Handcuffed to her bed with no hope of rescue, she begins hearing voices and seeing strange visions.” This movie came out in 2017, so it’s not exactly new, but I somehow had just gotten around to watching it. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this film, but as a horror fan and seeing that it was a based on a Stephen King story of the same name, I had enough faith to
give it a shot. The initial scenes focus on the couple, Jessie and Gerald, doing normal “couple-on-vacation” things. The tone is calm, but noticeably uneasy. That changes quickly to full blown panic and terror with the whole movie being relatively fast paced. If you’re someone who is easily bored waiting for a movie to get interesting, don’t worry; other than the first few scenes, you’ll stay entertained with this one from beginning to end. “Gerald’s Game” has some strangeness to it as well as a bit of gore. For example, in the beginning of the movie, right after Gerald has died, a stray dog gets in and starts eating his body.
Twists like that and others kept my attention well. They ensured the story remained interesting and different from so many others that tend to have similar storylines and blend together. The acting was great, especially that of Carla Gugino, who played the role of Jessie. She was surprisingly convincing in both her desperation to be free and her visions. There came a certain point in this movie when it became hard to discern whether the scenes were hallucination or reality. This made me think about the movie instead of just absentmindedly watching, and that was something I appreciated. Not long after night fell, Jessie started
to see a figure standing in the corner and it was actually frightening; this was the first and probably the only time the movie actually made me feel scared. This film did a good job setting the mood to a very creepy, suspenseful tone that made you feel on edge through most of it, but I don’t necessarily agree that this movie is a horror movie. If you’re looking for a genuinely scary movie that will have you not wanting to look, this isn’t your film. However, it does create suspense especially well and keeps you there for the duration of the movie. If you like Stephen King, good twists, and being on the edge of your seat, give “Gerald’s Game” a watch.

Augusts 29, 2019.