Gerald's Game (2017)

Introduction
"Gerald's Game" is a 2017 mental scary movie directed by Mike Flanagan. It is based upon Stephen King's 1992 novel of the exact same name. The star-studded cast includes Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood. The plot is set in a remote area where an other half need to defend survival after her partner dies suddenly leaving her handcuffed to their bed frame.

Plot Overview
The story revolves around the central characters - Gerald Burlingame and his better half Jessie, who take a trip to a separated lake home in Alabama to revive their marital relationship. Gerald, to spice up their love life, handcuffs Jessie to the bed without understanding that he does not have the keys. Quickly after, he suffers a fatal heart attack, leaving Jessie chained without any means of escape.

As night falls and Jessie is left alone, scary hallucinations and memories from her past begin to haunt her. She starts to see a spooky, high, ghost-like figure in the dark corners, and pictures of her dead other half, who tease and terrorise her. In the middle of her hallucinations, her traumatic past including sexual abuse at the hands of her dad resurfaces, thereby including another layer of complexity to the plot.

Escalation and Climax
The truth of her circumstance deepens; she realises that she is on the brink of death, without any food, upcoming aid and a roaming pet who has been attracted by Gerald's corpse. Driven by desperation, Jessie manages to escape from her handcuffs in a grisly scene where she de-gloves her hand. Severely injured and mentally traumatised, she comes across 'The Moonlight Man' when again, albeit this time in her evident delirium.

Resolution and Finale
After her terrifying experience, Jessie races out of the cabin and crashes her cars and truck, which finally attracts attention and aid. During the aftermath, it is exposed in a shocking twist that 'The Moonlight Man' who Jessie came across was not simply an invention of her creativity but a serial killer. Last scenes include Jessie confronting her distressing past, eventually indirectly attributing her survival to it. She releases a letter detailing her ordeal and exposure of her violent father that she sends as an opinion piece to a regional paper.

Crucial Reception
"Gerald's Game" was admired for its claustrophobic scary, psychological depth, and fascinating efficiency by Gugino. It equated King's novel onto the screen with noticeably disturbing visuals and painful sequences. Yet, the movie exceeded mere scary, weaving a narrative of survival, resilience, and conflicts with the ghosts of the past. The movie earned a 91% approval ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, reconciling critics who applauded it for its narrative technique, adept handling of mature styles, and its twist on the standard cabin-in-the-woods genre. The potency of its scary lies in its psychological exploration and a disturbingly haunting climax.

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