The Gerald’s Game ending may leave some viewers uncomfortable, but it does have its merits. While the book itself is a powerful and compelling story, the film does have flaws. The film’s shocking ending, which involves Jessie spitting in Gerald’s face and showing the murderer in the courtroom, might make some viewers cringe, but that’s how the movie ends, and it is certainly a disturbing ending.
Although the supernatural element is explicitly ruled out in the film, the movie does feature a hint of magical realism. For example, Jessie’s past assault is attributed to a Solar eclipse, which occurred on the day of Jessie’s past assault. In addition, Gerald’s life insurance is used to set up a foundation for victims of sexual abuse. Despite the deranged character, Jessie’s appearance does not change much.
Jessie, a character in Gerald’s Game, sees the Moonlight Man, who is a creepy man who appears to her when she’s handcuffed to her bed. Played by Carel Struycken, the Moonlight Man is a grave robber, necrophile, and serial killer. He comes with odd trinkets and a leering face, but he seems to be dreamlike.
The story follows Jessie’s life for eleven years. She is married to Gerald Mahout Burlingame, an aggressive lawyer. They are married but he insists on having sex. During the climax of the film, Jessie begins to feel uncomfortable and begins to scream for help. But Gerald’s heart attack doesn’t stop him. Jessie is left cuffed to her headboard in a skimpy negligee. She tries to wake him up but is unsuccessful. Jessie is in shock.
One of the movie’s major themes is fear. It’s about death and societal fears. Yet, the ending makes us wonder if we can be sure that we’ll always be safe. This movie is based on Stephen King’s 1992 novella of the same name. It is a paranormal horror thriller.
The novel was originally intended to be two-parts. King also shared a common theme with Dolores Claiborne, a woman who kills her husband on a day of solar eclipse. She had a vision of a girl being molested by her father on the lakefront. The same theme runs throughout Gerald’s Game. He later talks about having a dream with a woman who looks into a well. King fans know this is her dream.
In addition to the plotline about Jessie and Gerald’s heart attack, the movie also includes an emotional journey through Jessie’s life. She must confront her memories of her husband and of her own life. In addition to dealing with the pain of the death of her husband, she also must confront her own life and the social conventions she followed. She must confront her past as well as her fears about being judged for her actions.
