Gerald's Game: B+
I've enjoyed many shows and movies by Mike Flanagan over the past few years. I didn't know him by name after watching The Haunting of Hill House or Doctor Sleep although I loved both of those shows, but after watching Midnight Mass Mike Flanagan was solidified in my mind as a master of cinematic horror-drama.
I'm just starting to go through his filmography and watch anything by him I haven't seen yet. First up I decided to try Gerald's Game (2017), which I'd never heard of.
It's really good! I don't want to give away many details because it's a very unconventional story and I think the details of its unusual narrative structure are best enjoyed as surprises while watching. Just read the Netflix blurb below and then give it a try!
There are some minor gory scenes and then one really gory scene. The big one isn't as bad as I first thought, but it's much worse than my second thought, haha. Worth it! It's a very pivotal moment.
Keep an eye out for the cameo by Midnight Mass, the book! It's not even a real book; it's just planting the idea for that story. From Wikipedia:
Flanagan planted a prop book bearing the title (Midnight Mass) as an Easter egg in his films Hush (2016) and Gerald's Game (2017), as a means of "keeping the idea alive over the years."
