Known as a master of horror, prolific author Stephen King has seen his novels and short stories adapted so many times over, so picking out which one is the best, most accurate, or scariest is tough. There are plenty of options for each, from The Shining to It to Carrie to The Mist and more, yet it’s one of the least famous adaptations that has been chilling viewers who find it on Netflix because Gerald’s Game is flat out disturbing.
Based on King’s 1992 novel of the same name, Gerald’s Game was an original release on Netflix from Mike Flanagan in 2017 that flew under the radar. Even all these years later, it still remains one of the more underseen adaptations of King’s works, yet it’s one of the most haunting. The film manages to tell a relatively small story and uses a tough situation and an eerie atmosphere to deliver something that stays with viewers long after the credits roll.
Gerald’s Game Sees A Fun Night Turned Into Terror
A Romantic Evening Becomes A Frightening One
The setup for Gerald’s Game follows married couple Jessie (Carla Gugino) and the тιтular Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) as they head to a remote lake house for a weekend getaway, looking to reignite the spice in their love life. Gerald’s game involves him taking Viagra and handcuffing Jessie to the bed, looking to start an intense night of lovemaking. However, when an argument breaks out, Gerald has a heart attack and dies.
Along with mourning her husband at her feet, she has to figure out how to survive in a situation where she really has no options.
That leaves Jessie alone, handcuffed to the bed, and with no way to escape. Along with mourning her husband at her feet, she has to figure out how to survive in a situation where she really has no options. It’s the kind of harrowing situation that is extra scary because it could actually happen and the lengths that Jessie must go through to survive is where the disturbing part of the tale comes into play.
Horror Master Mike Flanagan Perfectly Adapts This Story
It’s Not The Easiest Novel To Adapt
One of the biggest issues that book-to-movie adaptations suffer from is how the narrative structures differ. A novel makes it easy to peer into the mind of a protagonist, so they don’t need to speak for the reader to engage, while a movie needs to find a way to show you these things. Gerald’s Game is especially tough to adapt because for the vast majority of the runtime, Jessie is on screen alone.
Thankfully, the adaptation is directed by Mike Flanagan, who has become a horror master. He managed to find the perfect way to adapt the story and give insight into the mind of Jessie without having her awkwardly explain it through dialogue. Flanagan already had prior success with Ouija: Origin of Evil and Hush but Gerald’s Game helped launch him into a star for Netflix as his shows like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mᴀss have been huge hits.
Stephen King Praised The Gerald’s Game Adaptation
The Original Author Really Liked It
With so many adaptations of his work, it’s always interesting to hear what Stephen King has to say about them. He famously isn’t a fan of The Shining, even though it’s widely considered one of the best movies to ever come from one of his novels. When it comes to Gerald’s Game, Stephen King had very positive words about it, taking to Twitter to say:
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That puts Gerald’s Game in the rare company of Stephen King adaptations that the author liked. King also had positive things to say about the original Children of the Corn, Misery, and The Shawshank Redemption, among others, but he has said that Stand By Me is the best adaptation of anything he’s ever written.
