Mike Flannigan continues to be my favorite working horror writer/director, and this movie is a testament to why. It is a movie that shouldn't work based on a novel that shouldn't work, and yet... it excels, perfectly adapting the novel's inner voices and monologues through intelligent script, masterful performances and fantastic directing. This is at the core a worst case survival scenario, and Flannigan expertly frames each shot or sequence so simple pauses can be layered with subtext and foreshadowing; dark shadows and simple glances hint at unseen horrors. If you've seen Oculus you know how deftly he maneuvers between hallucination and memory, executes visual metaphors and slowly ratchets tension and suspense to excruciating levels. Gugino is consistently a gem in her roles, and a pleasure to watch even as she is forced to undergo terrifying physical and psychological torment. When things get dark, creepy or gruesome, this movie does not flinch. Each fright is built, earned and justified but while there is gore and creepy sights, but this is far more a psychologically haunting tale about personal demons. The end gets a little heavy handed in an epilogue coda, but otherwise this is a horrifying tale amazingly well executed.
Gerald's Game