Das Spiel

I quite admittedly avoided this one for a bit because I thought it would have to be masterfully finessed to keep this storyline contained in a single room while keeping my attention. I was not wrong... they just did in fact do it exceptionally well.

This movie is engrossing and atmospheric, throwing you head first into her mental and physical struggles. They do a great job of making you feel like you are, in part, experiencing it first hand. This is done with its clever editing along with the high caliber of acting. Both main characters did an exceptional job, truly. Especially the wife, high emotionally intensified scenes are not easy and she did them at great length and with prowess.

I would say my biggest gripe with this was the ending. It felt very "adapted from a book". It went from a storyline within action, to a spoon fed monologue narrating the aftermath for quite sometime in fact. I didn't dislike the way it actually ended, just the way it was executed. Overall this felt like something quite original and different, would recommend.

Stephen King is at times a brilliant writer, and most of his novels give a home-bred 70's vibe. There's the presence of raw indecency and rotten attachments right beside the gore, and this movie is very good at portraying that.

I started watching this movie expecting to get bored at some point, because Gerald's Game is an odd pick of a novel to make into a film. A lot of the story revolves around the heroine spending hours alone and restricted. In a book, the writer has the freedom to play around with memories and weave them into the present, but was the director going to be able to do that?

The answer is, yes, he is, and he does that very well. Kudos to a thoroughly entertaining experience, whether it was the 80's gore effects, the commendable acting of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald, or the shifts from almost comedic to certainly nauseating scenes.

The only thing that bothered me was that the cinematography was a bit dated, and nothing creative. But it doesn't mean that this movie is not worth the watch, and it will be even more enjoyable if you haven't read the book!

Gerald's Game intrigued me with its premise, but it fell somewhat short of my expectations. While it had its moments, the overall execution, mainly towards the end, left me with mixed feelings.

The film starts with a promising setup, immersing us in a tense and unsettling situation. It explores themes of survival and psychological struggle in a confined space, which initially captured my interest. The lead actress delivered a strong performance, effectively conveying the emotional turmoil of her character. I enjoyed the "hallucination" concept which felt unique.

However, I found myself wanting more depth and exploration of the psychological aspects. While there were certainly intense moments, the narrative seemed to lose some of its momentum towards the end. The pacing faltered in that time period. The "Moonlight Man" could've been utilised more effectively.

On the positive side, the film did a commendable job of translating the source material onto the screen, capturing the suspense effectively. The cinematography and sound design contributed to the unsettling atmosphere, heightening the tension in certain sequences.

While Gerald's Game held my attention and offered some thought-provoking moments, it ultimately didn't fully satisfy my expectations. I appreciate its attempt, but I felt there was room for further refinement.

In conclusion, would I watch it a second time? Yes. Would I recommend you to watch it for the first time? Yes.

A woman trapped by a sadistic husband has to rely on unexplored strengths that emerge in a life threatening situation. This is not really a horror movie, although it's scary enough. Based on a Stephen King novel. I won't reveal how this plays out, but I felt it went off track at the end. Carla Gugino is great, and deserves a lot of credit for making the script work. It's a very small cast of characters, but she really stands out in the way she manages the changes her character goes through. I think I'd like to read the book now.

Worth the watch. But not for the Marvel/Star Wars crowd. As you can probably tell from the reviews, there were not enough explosions or CGI to keep most people entertained.