Gerald's Game

Name: Gerald's Game
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Released: September 29, 2017
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 77
Cast: Adalyn Jones, Ben Pronsky, Bruce Greenwood, Bryce Harper, Carel Struycken

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 176 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 176 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): September 29, 2017 | TV-MA

Starring: Adalyn Jones, Ben Pronsky, Bruce Greenwood, Bryce Harper, Carel Struycken, Carla Gugino, Chiara Aurelia, Chuck Borden, Gwendolyn Mulamba, Henry Thomas, James Flanagan, Jon Arthur, Kate Siegel, Kimberly Battista, Natalie Roers, Stu Cookson, Tom Glynn, Victoria Hardway

Summary: While trying to spice up their marriage in their remote lake house, Jessie must fight to survive when her husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her handcuffed to their bed frame.

Director: Mike Flanagan

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Horror

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 103 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

The Playlist Kristy Puchko

Sep 26, 2017

Gerald’s Game is a symphony of suspense and scares, spiked with just the right amount of gruesome gore. Read full review

Joe Leydon

Sep 26, 2017

Taken strictly on its own terms, the film adaptation is an arrestingly and sometimes excruciatingly suspenseful psychological thriller lightly garnished with horror-movie flourishes...and driven by a compelling lead performance that is entirely worthy of a description too often misapplied to lesser work: tour de force. Read full review

William Bibbiani

Sep 28, 2017

Gerald’s Game is a set of tightly wound gears that cranks out dread. Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood are as superb as they have ever been. Read full review

Jim Vorel

Sep 28, 2017

Ultimately, Gerald’s Game is an unassuming, overachieving little thriller that is blessed by two performers capable of handling the lion’s share of the dramatic challenges it presents. Read full review

Keith Phipps

Dec 4, 2017

Flanagan has a command of how to make the most of a single location, and Gerald’s Game often captures a sense of mounting tension and fear through small touches like the play of light through the window signaling the end of another day with no promise of a way out. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Sep 29, 2017

Any diehard King fan will tell you that the author’s biggest problem is endings. For years, it was almost a joke that King didn’t know how to wrap up even his best books. His ending for Gerald’s Game is atrocious, and you’d be better off turning this off about ten minutes before the credits and just imagining what happens. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Sep 25, 2017

Mike Flanagan is an un-ironic humanist, which is rare in the horror genre. And this admirable quality trips the filmmaker up in the second half of Gerald's Game, which pivots on Jessie learning to stand up to diseased masculinity. Read full review

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User Reviews

CharlieGray

Sep 29, 2017

This movie was truly magnificent, I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. A great adaptation to the great Stephen King’s book.
Hands up, it’s incredible.

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

benskylerhill

Apr 25, 2018

Claustrophobic thrillers such as this are very difficult to pull off; when nearly the entirety of the film's screen time is occupied by one actor trapped in one place, the pacing must be very quick. Otherwise, boredom takes over. I am happy to report that Gerald's Game accomplishes this andClaustrophobic thrillers such as this are very difficult to pull off; when nearly the entirety of the film's screen time is occupied by one actor trapped in one place, the pacing must be very quick. Otherwise, boredom takes over. I am happy to report that Gerald's Game accomplishes this and is a gripping psychological horror.

Carla Gugino is by far the highlight of this film. She delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as she truly emulates the onset of insanity that slowly comes with the regression of the mind into hopelessness and desperation. Some of the supporting cast is less than impressive, but the writing is quick and smart and effectively keeps the story flowing at a steady but exciting rate, with the exception of the second act that does admittedly feel too slow to hold one's attention.

The imagery is something that surprised me greatly in this film. Mike Flanagan does not shy away from imagery that may disturb some, and the fact that he delivers it slowly and sporadically is what makes this such a terrifying horror. Gerald's Game is very similar to another one of Flanagan's films, Oculus, in that it has next to no jump-scares. Rather, it utilizes deeper, fundamental fears of the human mind such as insanity that may not startle you, but will certainly stick with you after the credits roll. The only real gripes I had with the movie were its slow-moving middle portion, and the fact that the ending is very much tonally inconsistent with the rest of the story. But aside from that, Gerald's Game is a nail-biter, and it fulfills its duty as an outstanding psychological horror.

Story: 8.5
Acting: 8.5
Script: 8
Visuals/Sound: 10
Entertainment Value: 8.5

MY RATING: 8.7/10… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

jrossreviews

Oct 6, 2017

JordanRossReviews: GERALD'S GAME - 8.1/10
Rating: NR | Family Friendly: No. 18+ | How to Watch: Netflix
"Surprisingly more introspective and less gruesome than I imagined" Gerald’s Game was surprisingly more introspective and less gruesome than I imagined (except one particularlyJordanRossReviews: GERALD'S GAME - 8.1/10
Rating: NR | Family Friendly: No. 18+ | How to Watch: Netflix

"Surprisingly more introspective and less gruesome than I imagined"

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 hand-cuffed 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.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

DirigiblePulp

Dec 5, 2017

A really solid flick that will grip you and hold you and tells a compelling story with really good acting. The whole thing is presented quite nicely. The moonlight man is haunting. The story is thematically sound. It won't change your life, or maybe even hang with you for all that long, butA really solid flick that will grip you and hold you and tells a compelling story with really good acting. The whole thing is presented quite nicely. The moonlight man is haunting. The story is thematically sound. It won't change your life, or maybe even hang with you for all that long, but it's well told.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

bataguila

Nov 14, 2018

Empieza bien, te mantiene intrigado como se va safar, pero as alucinaciones exgeran mucho, como se safa esta medio chafa, quiere ser shokeante, pero queda en X. El final final es malisimo, y la "muerte" mas chafa aun.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

leniandreo

Oct 4, 2017

The movie starts extremely well, full of suspense. The explanation of the characters' backstory is done well. The acting is superb, with some emotional scenes. However there is the most unnecessary plot twist that just ruined the movie for me.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

dpredrag

Mar 15, 2019

Insultingly idiotic dialogue and bad taste on every step, with a touch of ignorant misogyny, cheesy lack of realism, and trying to fill the screen time with the character's formulaic shallow "problem past".

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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