Trapped And Terrified: Carla Gugino’s Unforgettable Performance In Netflix’s Most Hypnotic And Horrifying Thriller Will Leave You Shaking

A Stephen King movie adaptation which the author himself described as “hypnotic and horrifying” is causing a stir on Netflix – making some viewers physically sick.

Gerald’s Game was released in 2017 and the plot is brutal in its simplicity. Jessie (played by Carla Gugino) and her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) head to a secluded lake house hoping to reignite their love life. But a kinky role-play takes a terrifying turn when Gerald dies of a heart attack, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed, alone and utterly helpless.

Trapped in isolation, Jessie begins to spiral. The film doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares — instead, it messes with her mind. She experiences hallucinations, hears voices, and confronts buried trauma in a way that feels horribly real.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Gerald’s Game boasts an impressive 91% approval rating from 81 reviews, with a critics’ consensus that praises Gugino for carrying the film with “small‑scale suspense” and a career-defining performance.

Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood in Gerald’s Game before she’s left alone, helpless(Image: Netflix)

King himself didn’t hold back after watching a rough cut, calling the movie “hypnotic, horrifying, and terrific.”

Directed by Mike Flanagan (of Haunting of Hill House fame), the movie leans into claustrophobia and psychological terror more than gore. Viewers aren’t just creeped out — some have confessed the film made them feel physically sick.

One wrote on website Netflix Bangers: “Be careful. The big climactic scene made me sick to my stomach. I had to take a break before I could come back and finish watching it.”

Another wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: “The climax is bone-chilling, although a departure from the original story. For a genuine experience of dread, horror, and monstrosity writ large, watch this now.”

A third said: “How do you make a movie about a woman handcuffed to a bed interesting for an hour and a half?

Their kinky role-play takes a terrifying turn when Gerald dies of a heart attack, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed(Image: Netflix)

“The answer is with good pacing, a fantastic lead performance, widely inventive ways of studying the main character’s psyche, and an amazing director to bring it all to life.”

Behind the chilling scenes of Gerald’s Game, director Mike Flanagan was labouring on his “dream project” — the novel he’d carried around for half his life. He first pitched the idea seriously in the mid‑2010s, teaming up with producer Trevor Macy at Intrepid Pictures to bring the notoriously “unfilmable” book to life.

He told The Independent that Stephen King had emailed him after the film came out and told him he loved the adaptation – which he instantly printed out and framed in his living room.

Mike said: “Sending stuff to him’s a little nerve wracking, of course. Obviously, he’s abreast of everything you do along the way.

“You show him the script. He’s very involved with all the adaptation of his work. He takes a very hands-on approach which is something I really appreciate.”