Throughout the years Stephen King’s stories have been made into movies and miniseries and they’ve been hit and miss a good deal of the time. But as the staff at Den of Geek! have shown a lot of his stories, a LOT, are now in development and a few of them are coming fairly soon. Gerald’s Game is however one of those that has already lit up Netflix and been seen as one of those that has chilled people to the bone and reminded them that fear isn’t always about a supernatural entity or other force that seeks to bedevil humanity. Sometimes it’s your own mind that works against you and aids the world around you in trying to break you down. Gerald’s Game is a very simple story that’s allowed to dive into the complexities of what happens when a person is left alone in circumstances beyond their control and without any real way to escape. In short, it’s a story of how far a person will go to stay alive and what they’re willing to do to make it to another day.
Here are a few reasons why you should check this movie out.
10. Despite all appearances to the contrary this is a story about a woman that’s had to be inordinately strong of will.
It is about a woman that is very scantily clad being handcuffed to a bed since her husband wants to play a kinky sex game. But when he dies from a heart attack she has to find a way to not only survive the depredations of her own mind, but also a feral dog and the madness that threatens to consume her.
9. You will find yourself trying to put yourself in the lead actor’s place.
Some might resist this urge but others might actually start to breathe a little heavy and get into the whole aspect of the story, meaning they’ll feel trapped and at wits end in attempting to see just how she’s going to escape.
8. This is one King’s most cerebral stories and movies.
Jeff Somers of Barnes and Noble doesn’t exactly rank this book all that high on the list of the scariest of King’s tales but he does manage to put it on the list and it’s well-deserved since it’s been one of the best adaptations since King’s works started being put on the screen.
7. There is nothing overly corny about this movie.
Anyone remember watching those older Stephen King horror flicks that had moments that, even for the time period, seemed a bit ‘meh’ since they overdid it a bit? This tale has none of that since on top of being a cerebral horror it’s also quite visceral in its delivery and doesn’t hold back when it comes to the absolute terror that the lead actress is feeling.
6. It brings to mind very basic fears.
A lot of people can’t stand being bound to anything, some can’t stand to be as isolated as the couple in this movie is, and some have fears so plentiful that it’s hard to name them all. This movie goes over several and doesn’t hesitate to make good use of them in order to terrify the audience using the lead actress as the guinea pig.
5. It’s not a typical horror movie.
Olivia Truffaut-Wong of Bustle gets it exactly right when she states that this is not like a typical Stephen King story. There is no scary monster out to get Jesse, there is no impending threat that comes from any outside source unless you count the world that has suddenly become a very threatening place. The only danger is her own mind and what she’s willing to do in order to escape. that’s scary enough for a lot of people to be quite honest.
4. If you love cringe-worthy moments in horror stories you’ll love this.
Those moments when you don’t want to look because you feel that you might get physically ill or you just can’t stand the sight are present in this movie since this woman has to find some way to get herself free so that her own mind stops trying to feast upon itself as she suffers dehydration as well as the very real issue of sleep deprivation.
3. Thankfully the movie is every bit as good as the book.
Too many times it’s been seen that the book will be so much better than the movie since so much gets left out or changed. That’s not evident this time since the movie is every bit as good, which is a pleasant surprise.
2. It’s a simple story but has a lot of different layers to it.
When you look at it there’s really not much to this story. A couple needing help with their marriage goes to a secluded spot to get away and in the middle of fun time the husband has a heart attack while the wife is chained to the bed.
1. Carla Gugino is still a great actress.
She’s been good since her younger days and she’s only been getting better as she’s aged.
If you’re going to watch it, try doing so with the lights on during the daytime.
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