10s Movie Review - Gerald's Game

Director: Mike Flanagan
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Carla Cugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas, Carel Struyken, Kate Siegel

Description: A couple (Carle Cugino, Bruce Greenwood) tries to spice up their marriage in a remote lake house. After the husband dies unexpectedly, the wife is left handcuffed to their bed frame and must fight to survive and break free.

Review: Gerald handcuffs his wife Jessie to the bed of a remote lake house they are vacation in. for Jessie, this adventure turns into torture when Gerald suddenly dies of a heart attack, while her still being cuffed to the bed.  
2017 was a year that Stephen King had many of his films being adapted to the big screen. His book series “The Dark Tower” finally turned into a movie and the remake of “It” was a huge success. In addition, Netflix presented us with “1922” and “Gerald’s Game”.
One thing is for sure, “Gerald’s Game” is not the easiest book to film. The story largely takes place in the mind of Jessie who is chained to a bed while her late husband is being eaten by a stray dog. Yet director Mike Flanagan manages to squeeze enough suspense out of this plot.
This success is largely due to the intense acting of Carla Cugino as Jessie. As the fear, hunger and thirst begin to take their toll, she turns more an more into herself. We too escape from Jessie’s plight for a brief moment, only to be confronted with the nightmares of her past.
These interludes deepen the complexity of Cugino’s character and ensure that the film never becomes boring. Flanagan’s dedication to character development makes “Gerald’s Game” both a robust King film adaptation and an effective psychological horror film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5