*This review will contain SPOILERS. Much of what I both enjoyed and hated about this movie comes in the final act, so be warned.*
Gerald's Game is a truly strange movie. And while the word "strange" can mean a whole range of things, I'm not talking about the film's subject matter here, although it definitely delves into some harrowing and horrifying territory. No, I'm talking about how the movie itself feels like a jumble of so many wildly incompatible ideas, genres and tones that are so vastly different that it's almost a miracle that it all comes in this one crazy package. Director Mike Flanagan's film jumps from chamber piece thriller to nightmarish headtrip to all-out gorefest, all before landing on a conclusion that is as unsettling as it is completely ridiculous. The Stephen King devotees that I follow on social media have emphasized that this is an extremely faithful adaptation of the novel, so there's a good chance that the narrative issues on display here have literary origins. But nonetheless, Gerald's Game is the very definition of a mixed bag. Shocking and dull, gruesome and tedious, this is an outrageous concoction that really doesn't work, but it's certainly an unique roller-coaster ride.
The plot is simple. Jessie and Gerald Burlingame (Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood) are heading on a weekend getaway to an isolated cabin, all in the hope of spicing up their dwindling marriage. After a brief encounter with a hungry stray dog, Jessie and Gerald settle in for the afternoon. Jessie puts on some new lingerie, and Gerald breaks out the handcuffs that he's been waiting to use. However, their attempt at sexual intimacy turns sour as it turns out that Gerald has a pretty severe rape kink, and Jessie is not pleased by her husband's despicable behavior. A fight breaks out, and then something even worse happens- Gerald drops dead of a massive heart attack. Handcuffed to a bedframe with no way to get out, Jessie is caught in a state of panic. As the situation becomes more severe, Jessie begins to relive a past of sexual trauma and a gut-wrenching incident with her father (Henry Thomas). As nightmarish forces close in around her, Jessie is forced to confront her demons and use her wits to survive.
Mike Flanagan has established himself as a rather reliable horror filmmaker in recent years, building a reputation as one of the best in the business. Last year, he even managed to do the unthinkable by turning Ouija: Origin of Evil, a sequel to a much-maligned cash grab, into a terrifying hit. He's nowhere near James Wan, the titan of the modern horror industry, but he's becoming a minor force in his own right. No matter the flaws of the film as a whole, Flanagan masterfully sets the scene, establishing the space, introducing the players, and foreshadowing the terrors to come. As the film's narrative kicks into high gear, everything seems to be in place for something truly horrifying.
And then the film takes a bizarre turn- it decides to go from being a horror movie to a chamber piece more suited for the stage. Many have praised Gerald's Game for its handling of a novel long considered to be unfilmable, but I found its approach to be almost remarkably dull. As it slips closer and closer to becoming a dramatized inner monologue, much of the suspense and horror from the film vanishes into thin air. Its exploration of childhood trauma and sexual assault is admirable, but it's done in a way that feels both slightly preposterous and distasteful, which may ultimately be the fault of King's novel. Carla Gugino gives it her all, and she creates a character with just the right combination of unrelenting strength and fascinating vulnerability. And it helps that she has two great foils in Bruce Greenwood and Henry Thomas, two monsters who show their true evil in radically different ways. But even with strong performances and compelling content, this section of the film is a drag.
And then Gerald's Game takes another turn, this time into full blown exploitative horror. Yes folks, I'm talking about the degloving scene that has already become the stuff of legend. In the most intense moment of the film, Jessie crushes a glass in her hand in order to slide her way out of the handcuff, practically ripping her hand off in the process. And I'll be honest, even if Gerald's Game doesn't really work, this is one of the gnarliest, nastiest things I've ever seen in a movie. I've seen some crazy stuff by now, and nothing really phases me these days. But I had a visceral reaction to this scene, a mix of nausea and sheer terror. It makes Green Room look like child's play in comparison. This scene is the business, and it actually gives the movie quite a bit of propulsive energy for a while. My heart was racing.
Sadly, this is where the film takes its final turn into baffling stupidity. After being haunted by a mysterious entity for her entire ordeal, we learn that the Moonlight Man is actually a real man named Raymond Joubert who has been murdering people and having sex with corpses all over the country. And the film ends with Jessie confronting him in the courtroom where he's on trial for his heinous crimes. Dramatically satisfying? I suppose. I get the idea of having Jessie confront her fears, and I think it's frightening to think about how the Moonlight Man was real the whole time. But there's something absurd about the whole thing, and it ends the film on a decidedly ridiculous note.
So essentially, this is Gerald's Game- a film of wildly different parts that don't really come together in the end. That hand scene will stay with me forever, and I respect the blunt and unflinching depiction of sexual assault, but much of this film is just far too dull to recommend. Flanagan has talent to spare and Gugino gives it her all, and yet Gerald's Game remains a disappointment in my mind. But that scene. That one scene. Man. It's really something.
THE FINAL GRADE: C (5.8/10)
Images courtesy of Netflix
Gerald's Game is a truly strange movie. And while the word "strange" can mean a whole range of things, I'm not talking about the film's subject matter here, although it definitely delves into some harrowing and horrifying territory. No, I'm talking about how the movie itself feels like a jumble of so many wildly incompatible ideas, genres and tones that are so vastly different that it's almost a miracle that it all comes in this one crazy package. Director Mike Flanagan's film jumps from chamber piece thriller to nightmarish headtrip to all-out gorefest, all before landing on a conclusion that is as unsettling as it is completely ridiculous. The Stephen King devotees that I follow on social media have emphasized that this is an extremely faithful adaptation of the novel, so there's a good chance that the narrative issues on display here have literary origins. But nonetheless, Gerald's Game is the very definition of a mixed bag. Shocking and dull, gruesome and tedious, this is an outrageous concoction that really doesn't work, but it's certainly an unique roller-coaster ride.
The plot is simple. Jessie and Gerald Burlingame (Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood) are heading on a weekend getaway to an isolated cabin, all in the hope of spicing up their dwindling marriage. After a brief encounter with a hungry stray dog, Jessie and Gerald settle in for the afternoon. Jessie puts on some new lingerie, and Gerald breaks out the handcuffs that he's been waiting to use. However, their attempt at sexual intimacy turns sour as it turns out that Gerald has a pretty severe rape kink, and Jessie is not pleased by her husband's despicable behavior. A fight breaks out, and then something even worse happens- Gerald drops dead of a massive heart attack. Handcuffed to a bedframe with no way to get out, Jessie is caught in a state of panic. As the situation becomes more severe, Jessie begins to relive a past of sexual trauma and a gut-wrenching incident with her father (Henry Thomas). As nightmarish forces close in around her, Jessie is forced to confront her demons and use her wits to survive.
Mike Flanagan has established himself as a rather reliable horror filmmaker in recent years, building a reputation as one of the best in the business. Last year, he even managed to do the unthinkable by turning Ouija: Origin of Evil, a sequel to a much-maligned cash grab, into a terrifying hit. He's nowhere near James Wan, the titan of the modern horror industry, but he's becoming a minor force in his own right. No matter the flaws of the film as a whole, Flanagan masterfully sets the scene, establishing the space, introducing the players, and foreshadowing the terrors to come. As the film's narrative kicks into high gear, everything seems to be in place for something truly horrifying.
And then the film takes a bizarre turn- it decides to go from being a horror movie to a chamber piece more suited for the stage. Many have praised Gerald's Game for its handling of a novel long considered to be unfilmable, but I found its approach to be almost remarkably dull. As it slips closer and closer to becoming a dramatized inner monologue, much of the suspense and horror from the film vanishes into thin air. Its exploration of childhood trauma and sexual assault is admirable, but it's done in a way that feels both slightly preposterous and distasteful, which may ultimately be the fault of King's novel. Carla Gugino gives it her all, and she creates a character with just the right combination of unrelenting strength and fascinating vulnerability. And it helps that she has two great foils in Bruce Greenwood and Henry Thomas, two monsters who show their true evil in radically different ways. But even with strong performances and compelling content, this section of the film is a drag.
And then Gerald's Game takes another turn, this time into full blown exploitative horror. Yes folks, I'm talking about the degloving scene that has already become the stuff of legend. In the most intense moment of the film, Jessie crushes a glass in her hand in order to slide her way out of the handcuff, practically ripping her hand off in the process. And I'll be honest, even if Gerald's Game doesn't really work, this is one of the gnarliest, nastiest things I've ever seen in a movie. I've seen some crazy stuff by now, and nothing really phases me these days. But I had a visceral reaction to this scene, a mix of nausea and sheer terror. It makes Green Room look like child's play in comparison. This scene is the business, and it actually gives the movie quite a bit of propulsive energy for a while. My heart was racing.
Sadly, this is where the film takes its final turn into baffling stupidity. After being haunted by a mysterious entity for her entire ordeal, we learn that the Moonlight Man is actually a real man named Raymond Joubert who has been murdering people and having sex with corpses all over the country. And the film ends with Jessie confronting him in the courtroom where he's on trial for his heinous crimes. Dramatically satisfying? I suppose. I get the idea of having Jessie confront her fears, and I think it's frightening to think about how the Moonlight Man was real the whole time. But there's something absurd about the whole thing, and it ends the film on a decidedly ridiculous note.
So essentially, this is Gerald's Game- a film of wildly different parts that don't really come together in the end. That hand scene will stay with me forever, and I respect the blunt and unflinching depiction of sexual assault, but much of this film is just far too dull to recommend. Flanagan has talent to spare and Gugino gives it her all, and yet Gerald's Game remains a disappointment in my mind. But that scene. That one scene. Man. It's really something.
THE FINAL GRADE: C (5.8/10)
Images courtesy of Netflix
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