Netflix horror film about kinky sex game 'most disturbing fans have watched'
With a smashing 91 per cent score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Gerald's Game left critics and audiences floored when it was released.
Directed and edited by Mike Flanagan, the 2017 psychological horror thriller is currently streaming on Netflix. With a screenplay penned by Flanagan and Jeff Howard, Gerald's Game is based on Stephen King's 1992 novel of the same name.
Starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood, King's book was long thought to be unadaptable and unfilmable for the big screen.
Centred around married couple Jessie and Gerald, the film sees the pair arrive at an isolated house for a relaxing holiday.
However, life has other plans as Gerald suddenly dies of a heart attack, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed without a key and with little hope of any rescue. Jessie must then find a way to survive her impossible circumstances — all while battling her visceral inner demons.
So highly commended was the film, that Stephen King himself took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote: 'Saw a rough cut of Mike Flanagan's GERALD'S GAME yesterday. Horrifying, hypnotic, terrific. It's gonna freak you out.'
Speaking to Buzzfeed about taking on the role, Gugino said: 'It was always considered an un-adaptable book by Stephen King. Also, someone was attached to play the role before. So, from the moment that I spoke to Mike Flanagan to the moment we were filming 'Gerald's Game,' it was literally two weeks.
"So, to come on to that role in that project, in which I was chained to a bed within that period of time, was a real risk. And I thought, 'We're either going to do something really special here, or this is the end of my career.' You know what I mean? There's no middle ground here. I'm so thankful that it was the former.'
With glowing reviews, Gerald's Game is a top-tier watch for those looking to sink their teeth into a psychological horror. One critic said of the film: 'Unsurprisingly, the film is [Mike Flanagan's] most accomplished to date, the result of the years he's spent giving a damn about his characters and their anguish. He's so good at it, he even makes it look easy.'
Another reviewer wrote: 'Finally, after the abysmal The Dark Tower and the overhyped It, we have a Stephen King adaptation that's worthy of the brand.'
While one critic said: 'Writer-director Mike Flanagan and co-writer Jeff Howard have turned Gerald's Game into one of the most compelling, eerie, memorable Stephen King adaptations to date.'
Another said: 'Gerald's Game is a symphony of suspense and scares, spiked with just the right amount of gruesome gore.'
Audience reviews were not far behind in their praise.
One viewer said: 'This movie is an enigma. On paper, it sounds like a boring movie: a woman is stuck, handcuffed to a bed for a long time, she eventually escapes. It was considered unfilmable for quite a while. But Mike Flanagan did a great job with this film and at this point, it's like he's physically incapable of making a bad King adaptation.'
Another audience review added: 'This movie was one of the most disturbing and suspenseful movies I have ever watched, and it was awesome. Sometimes the plot and story were a little slow and boring, but it was worth it to feel the intensity of the movie. Another great adaptation of Stephen King's work! I enjoyed watching it, I highly recommend it for fans of horror and thrillers!'
While one viewer wrote: 'This was a fun movie to watch, the characters felt fully thought out. The story is such a simple one to tell but incredibly rich with back story about our main character.'
Another said: 'One of the best adaptations to Stephen King's works. The substance was there and the story was well developed.'
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