CREDIT: NETFLIX
The adaption of Stephen King's Gerald's Game is a psychological film that makes you think and feel for the characters. This film is worth the watch and is now available exclusively on Netflix.

We have been so lucky this year to see a string of Stephen King film adaptions like The Dark Tower and It, which have all been masterfully done in their own unique way. The latest Netflix exclusive adaptation, Gerald’s Game, has continued this trend of well done films inspired by the brilliant Stephen King’s novels. Gerald’s Game definitely stands out from the rest as it is completely different from what we are used to seeing, while we normally expect gruesome imagery and terrifying monsters, Gerald’s Game is purely psychological.

The film takes place in a remote lake house where Jessie (played by Carla Gugino) and her husband try and rekindle the spark in their marriage. Just when things start to get a little too spicy, Jessie’s husband dies suddenly of a heart attack, leaving her handcuffed to the bedframe. With no one around but a hungry, stray dog (reference to Cujo) and the presence of Death, Jessie must fight for her life to escape the psychological and physical hold of the handcuffs.

The most impressive part of this film is that the majority of it takes place in a single room, but is able to keep your attention and stress levels high throughout the entire movie. We all have seen those single setting movies where you fall asleep half way through because they start to feel repetitive. Gerald’s Game definitely does not fall into that grouping and does an incredible job of keeping the story moving.

Gugino also deserves huge props for her portrayal of Jessie in the film. Not only does she evoke so much emotion, she makes the character and the situation believable. There is nothing worse than watching a film where you feel the character could have easily got out of the situation. Gugino makes you believe she truly is stuck and makes you feel her struggle and pain while you watch the movie. Survival is not a pretty thing to watch, but Gugino does it with such finesse and grace.

While there are a lot of other nuances in the film that make it a success like the special effects makeup, the imagery of death and the Moon Man as well as the script, what truly stood out to me and what I personally took away from the film, was the underlying message and moral of the story. How Stephen King and the director, Mike Flanagan, were able to convey facing your fears and standing up to your past, in such a visual and metaphorical way was absolutely stunning.

If you are looking for a great film to watch on Netflix, I would highly recommend watching Gerald’s Game. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the horror genre, this Stephen King film adaptation takes you through a psychological whirlwind without much of the gore that you would expect. This movie makes you think, feel and will leave you walking away with a pretty powerful message that some of us may even relate to and appreciate.