There’s a subtle nod to another hidden Stephen King project in the film adaptation of Gerald’s Game that makes the spooky story much darker.
Although Gerald’s game is one of Stephen King’s most ingrained horror stories, its film adaptation features a cryptic nod to another King project that makes the plot that much creepier. Basically, 2017 Gerald’s game isn’t the most outlandish of Stephen King’s many adaptations. Where Other Stephen King Movies Like Fire starter and This rely on pyrokinesis and ancient Eldritch monsters for their scares, Gerald’s game has a more realistic premise – although that doesn’t make the film any less heartbreaking.
Gerald’s game sees its heroine Jessie left in a dire life-or-death situation when her husband violates the handcuff to a bed in an isolated cabin, then dies before he can remove his restraints. That’s all the conceit of the novel and its film adaptation, with King and director Mike Flanagan exploiting the idea for all the tension it’s worth. However, despite Gerald’s game Lacking many explicitly supernatural plot points, the film adaptation adds a sneaky nod to The dark tower series that has dark ramifications for the story.
Although The dark tower received a film adaptation (which Stephen King hated) in 2017, not everyone watches Gerald’s game would be familiar with the novel series. So when the movie version of Gerald’s game includes the dark toweris recurring”All things serve the beam“, this could easily be considered another strange thing that a hallucination says to the heroine of the film. For those who know King’s dark tower series, however, the line suggests the idea that the events happening to Jessie are on some supernatural level and the machinations of larger forces at work. This is a rather worrying discovery since the dark tower universe includes Stephen King’s iconic villain, Pennywise, The stallthe demonic Randall Flagg, and Dandelo, another being who feeds on the fear of others.
The book and Gerald’s game The film alludes to supernatural happenings by connecting Jessie to Dolores Claiborne via what appears to be unexplained telepathy. However, this connection is decidedly less troubling. Jessie’s communication with Dolores has a positive effect on both women, as both abuse survivors can find strength and solidarity in their shared trauma. In contrast, the scary line “all things serve the beam“implies that just as Dolores and Jessie can support each other in times of need through paranormal means, the monstrous supernatural forces at work in King’s universe are also able to converge when there is human fear to nurture.
Luckily for Jessie, she doesn’t meet ThisThe child eats Pennywise, Flagg or Dandelo during his ordeal. She crosses paths with the terrifying Raymond Andrew Joubert, nicknamed the “man made of moonlightin the movie version of the story. However, intimidating as he is, Joubert is very deadly and human, with Jessie even meeting Stephen King’s villain in court at the end of Gerald’s game and be surprised to discover that he is only one person. So Stephen King’s easter egg that involves Gerald’s game involves supernatural evil is still just a tease, but it’s still a deeply chilling touch that makes the adaptation even scarier.
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