Jessie

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.

I will confess that I have never read the Stephen King novel on which this movie is based. Maybe the end is a bit clearer in the novel, but the ending of the movie really kind of left me a bit empty. I was really enjoying this movie up to that last ten minutes or so. I can't say that I had been particularly familiar with Carla Gugino, who played Jessie in this, but I thought her performance was fabulous. The story begins with Jessie and her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) taking a vacation in a remote place in the hopes of resparking their marriage, which had gone dry romantically and sexually. To do that, Gerald had brought handcuffs and handcuffed Jessie to the bed. To that point this really had something of a "dark comedy" feel to it; it was humourous in a warped sort of way. But it doesn't stay that way for very long. Jessie wasn't enthusiastic about Gerald's handcuff game, or the rape scenario that he wanted to play out with them, and she eventually objected, leading to a fight between them - during which Gerald dropped dead of a heart attack with Jessie still chained to the bed. Alone, with no one to help her, no food, a hungry dog that had found its way into the house and was feeding on Gerald's body and only a single glass of water, she has to find a way to survive. The movie eventually becomes a journey of self-discovery for Jessie as she finds herself exploring the demons in her own past back to her childhood and her relationship with her father and how they connect with the present.

This is really well done, and it includes a few scenes that are absolutely cringe-worthy. I actually had to turn away from the screen a couple of times. But personally I just thought this fell apart a bit with the ending. I didn't like the "Moonlight Man." I didn't think the "Moonlight Man" was really necessary to the story. The dog and just the situation seemed quite sufficient to make this a thoroughly superb horror movie and, to me at least, the "Moonlight Man" took a horror movie and turned it into something silly - although that was only in the last ten minutes or so of the movie. I will say that this definitely has a Stephen King feel to it, and up to that last ten minutes I would have said this was superb. But when an ending leaves me dry I end up having to mark it down just a little bit. (7/10)

Masterpiece. The last ten minutes were brilliantly executed. This director's work is definitely on par with Frank Darabont's movies. Every sequences of the novel is present in the movie. Acting is delivered at its finest. Netflix need more Stephen King adaptations like this one. A must watch for everyone.

-Dude from Blossomsoft

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.