10 Horror Films Where Only One Person Dies
2. Gerald's Game (2017)
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Gerald's Game tells the story of Jessie Burlingame. When he husband Gerald dies of a heart attack during a sex game, Jessie is left handcuffed to her bed and alone.
It is through the creative genius of Mike Flanagan that this concept translated so well to screen. Flanagan makes the wise choice to take some creative liberties with King's story, bringing the deceased Gerald back into the story as a figment of his wife's imagination. This concept helps the narrative flow much more conventionally and also enables an incredibly chilling performance from Bruce Greenwood.
The concept of a woman alone and bound to a bed could very easily turn stale, but the incredibly strong performances that keep the audience hooked. Carla Gugino is absolutely captivating as a woman forced to confront all of her demons as the end of her life may be in sight.
Flanagan excels as usual in providing the film with a wonderful surreal atmosphere, leaving us always unsure what is real and what is imagined. If all of this isn't enough, there is a truly gory moment that is beyond visceral and not at all for the squeamish.
Gerald's Game is most definitely stands as one of the stronger Stephen King adaptions.