Gerald’s Game delivers a stunningly shocking Stephen King adaptation
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Gerald’s Game — Courtesy of Netflix
Once Jessie no longer has a grip on reality, everything is fair game. She starts seeing things including hallucinations of herself and her dead husband, who give advice as well as ridicule her through this traumatic event.
This is when we discover the truth about her past and troubling childhood as Mouse. We meet her father, Tom (Henry Thomas). From the get-go, there’s something unnerving about him and the relationship he has with his little girl, Mouse (Jessie).
However, it’s not until the Eclipse scene that we know how fucked up he really is. Yes, this scene still haunts me and messes with my head. The shot is breathtaking with its captivating colors, soft, catchy tunes (Sam Cooke again) and then boom… your childhood is ruined.
Mouse and her father are watching the eclipse together when he asks her to sit on his lap for old times sake. The disturbing events that follow were shocking, humiliating, and will leave a disgusting taste in your mouth for days. To me, this part, in particular, is powerful filmmaking because they don’t even show too much but you knew what was happening and that was enough to make you want to take a hot shower to wash off all the ick.
Later, he tricks her into keeping it a secret. It’s the darkest secret of her life and shapes who she becomes as a person and a woman.
Face the Truth and Come Out A Warrior
Jessie may seem to be a bit of a weakling but she’s far from it. She avoided certain situations in hopes that by ignoring them they would go away but they never did. It’s human to try to fix a problem with a solution that avoids confrontation. It’s when she’s faced with her current dire situation that everything changes. She not only has to face her past, but her present and future. In doing so, she becomes a warrior.
Throughout Gerald’s Game, Carla Gugino gives a stunning performance as Jessie. She’s always been a great actress, but this is her standout role and is by far worthy of an Academy Award. It’s hard to keep the attention of the audience when a film takes place in one room and you’re strapped to a bed a majority of the time, but Carla’s performance is never dull. It’s heartbreaking, thrilling, and, despite the situation, keeps you at the edge of your seat wondering how she is going to escape this horrible nightmare.
Along with her performance, Bruce Greenwood portrays Gerald perfectly. Bruce is always a great actor and I’ve seen him play slimeball roles before like in Double Jeopardy. However, this is my favorite role of his too. The chemistry between him and Carla is unnervingly wonderful and I can’t imagine it any other way.
Award For Most Cringeworthy Moment
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- Looking back at Stephen King’s creepy cult classic Children of the Corn
- The 3 Stephen King movies releasing in 2023 (so far)
Towards the end of the film, Jessie comes back to reality and realizes if she doesn’t try to escape from the cuffs soon she will die. She takes drastic measures and cuts her wrists straight down the middle and up her hand (blood can be slicker than oil). Just when you thought that was bad enough, she attempts to push the handcuff over her wrist and hand, and I almost threw up.
This is something that never happens to me, but I was tickled with sick joy. To me, this along with the eclipse scene makes Gerald’s Game one of the most horrific and disturbing Stephen King adaptations ever.
Sidenote: Don’t worry I didn’t forget about the Moonlight Man, but I’ll save that for a different article as his role, although important, didn’t have the same impact on me as the other parts did.
Overall, Gerald’s Game is the Stephen King adaptation fans have been waiting for. This film is a psychological thriller, fucking you up in more ways than one. Just when you think you’ve gotten through the most disturbing part, another one replaces it. Carla delivers a performance paralyzing you with fear, sadness, and determination. I highly recommend checking it out and when you do, let us know what you think.
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