YMMV / Gerald's Game

• Awesome Moments: As horrifying as it may also be, Jessie having the determination to tear the skin from her own hand to get out of the handcuffs and escape alive is damn impressive, especially since she doesn't hesitate for even a moment, no matter how painful it was.
• Ending Fatigue: A common criticism of the movie version. While it only clocks in at a reasonable 103 minutes, some have found that the ending voiceover goes on for just a bit too long.
• He Really Can Act: Henry Thomas as an incestuous child molester.
• Iron Woobie: Jessie's situation turns her into one. She's completely helpless, but is willing to do whatever it takes to escape.
• Nausea Fuel:
  • How Jessie escapes from the cuffs. She degloves her hand and uses her own blood as a lubricant.
  • The after-effects of Prince's dining on Gerald's face are presented in all their gory glory in the film version, too.
• Nightmare Retardant: The extended sequence for some. Jessie escapes and explains to her past self that the Moonlight Man's a real human being with nothing supernatural about him. Spooky perhaps but not as scary as the boogeyman. Of course, most people find his humanity to be even more horrifying given he's molested and murdered several people, including his only two known relatives. Not helping is that he came to symbolize everything evil about Gerald and Jessie's father for her.
• Squick:
  • Gerald literally drooling on Jessie at the beginning of the book. It triggers memories of what Jessie's father did to her and causes her to snap and kick him in the groin and stomach.
  • The molestation scene, in both the book and the film, is naturally disgusting and horrifying.
  • Jessie pisses herself early on and is forced to wallow in her own urine.
• Values Resonance: Jessie's "Goodwife" personality is an incisive portrayal of internalized misogyny, which at the time was not nearly the hot topic it is now.
• Visual Effects of Awesome: The hand prosthetic for the notorious climax is nauseatingly convincing, and will likely make you look away at some point no matter how good you are with gore.

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