In another film adaptation of a Stephen King novel, Gerald's Game is one of many films in 2017 that found success in releasing directly to Netflix, avoiding some of the traditional methods of advertising and press screenings that come with releasing alongside huge blockbusters in cinemas worldwide.
The film itself seems to carry a fairly simple narrative: a wife and husband take some time away from things at a lakeside house in Alabama. Hoping to revive their love life a bit, the two engage in some newer activities in the bedroom.
Feeling uncomfortable with things, Jessie (Carla Gugino), while tied to the bed, argues with Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), leading to his unstable heart finally giving in. Jessie is left tied to the bed, alone, with only her greatest fears and conscience to keep her company.
This film, for the most part, focuses on psychological horror, the horrors of being alone and helpless while in a state of full awareness. With Jessie's troublesome past appearing to have conjured this strange apparition containing various disfigurements that toys with her in the night: the Moonlight Man.
As stated previously, this film for the most part focuses on Jessie's situation on the bed, although it takes a darker turn into her childhood featuring sexual abuse from her father; and how the Moonlight Man is the ghost of him coming back to manipulate her and make her existence intolerable again. This is where Stephen King's writing makes a big appearance.
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THIS IS A BIG SPOILER; CONTINUE IF YOU DON'T CARE
**The Moonlight Man is no conjured apparition from the depth of her mind, he's a genuine figure that roams around. picking off men and killing them, often eating parts of their bodies. It's a massive twist that's rather unexpected, although hinted in the first few minutes of the film, curing a radio report of frequent burglaries in the area.
The film's psychological horrors quickly take a turn for genuine horror. The entire time, she was watching this figure appear, believing it was all in her mind; a ghost of her past coming to haunt her in a moment of weakness. If you're focusing heavily on the Jessie's childhood, it's easy to completely ignore the hints and mistake them for hallucinations.
In short, this film is very, very good. There's a ton of buildup that has you looking in one direction, while the film is letting something huge lurk in the other. The film contains some really creative writing that kicks you into sudden realisation; and it's certainly going to give you the chills.