Overview
A couple's romantic getaway turns into a nightmare as buried secrets come to light.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- oppressive
- paranoid
- late night horror viewing
- halloween watchlist
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a hypnotic, effective small-scale horror thriller elevated by Carla Gugino's career-defining performance and Mike Flanagan's direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jessie is trapped and fighting to survive inside a remote retreat bedroom after the marital game turns dangerous.
Jessie confronts long-buried memories and possible apparitions while her mind attempts to process the crisis.
Jessie's survival depends on confronting childhood abuse and the memories she has kept buried.
The remote retreat and eclipse imagery juxtapose scenic isolation with the darkness of Jessie's memories and danger.
Films like Gerald's Game, and why
The Night House
shared psychological horror, intimate survival premise, childhood trauma, and oppressive supernatural ambiguity
The Babadook
shared literary horror adaptation, grief-stricken protagonist, haunted domestic space, and escalating psychological dread
Misery
shared claustrophobic horror, trauma-centered characterization, supernatural uncertainty, and emotionally intense suspense
The Shining
shared remote-location horror, unreliable perceptions, buried trauma, and a woman confronting an apparently supernatural threat
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Release Date
- 2017-09-29
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (4034)
Cast
- Carla Gugino
- Bruce Greenwood
- Carel Struycken
- Chiara Aurelia
- Henry Thomas
- Kate Siegel
- Adalyn Jones
- Bryce Harper
- Gwendolyn Mulamba
- Jamie Flanagan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Gerald's Game about?
- A woman handcuffed to a bed in an isolated retreat must outwit death, memory, and a possibly real visitor from the darkness.
- What is Gerald's Game like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Gerald's Game as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Gerald's Game violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Gerald's Game as graphic.
- What did critics think of Gerald's Game?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a hypnotic, effective small-scale horror thriller elevated by Carla Gugino's career-defining performance and Mike Flanagan's direction.
- Which films are like Gerald's Game?
- Films with a similar feel include The Night House, The Babadook, Misery, and The Shining.
- How long is Gerald's Game?
- Gerald's Game runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Gerald's Game?
- In United States, Gerald's Game streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
