For a long time this was cited to be one of King's "unfilmable" books (though I think "Rose Madder" trumps it in that regard) but somebody finally adapted it. This was a perfect fit for Netflix. The simple premise keeps the budget low and the more risque subject matter might have been a gamble had they tried to go for a theatrical release.
The film plays into the more psychological aspects and it works well. Even though Jessie spends a majority of the movie chained to a bed, you're never bored. There's tension that is effectively executed and keeps you engaged in what's happening.
The cast all do a great job. Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood carry the brunt of the weight, but they show that they're up to the task. Both get to play multiple iterations of their respective characters. It gives them plenty to chew on.
The movie itself is very faithful to the source material...not that there was really much room for deviation. Still, even little details are consistent with the novel. It was nice to see. Really, the biggest change that I noticed was a glossing over of the aftermath and Jessie's fear of the mysterious figure who she saw in her room. It's touched on, and she does confront him in court to get closure, but we don't see her trying to convince others of what happened the way she did in the book.
Being such a faithful adaptation, I suppose it's fitting that the strengths and weaknesses from the book come right to the film. Is Jessie still a strong central protagonist who proves to be resourceful, clever, and have a clear arc of evolution? Yes. Is the book's social commentary wonky and eyebrow raising? Yep, you bet.
Still, though, the movie does pull back from the book in some respects. I thought Gerald came off a lot better here than he does in the source material. The guy still has issues, but he felt more layered here. What Jessie endures as a child is also watered down. It's still squicky as hell, but it might undercut the dramatic weight a little.
As always, I got a kick out of the nods to other King works. You wouldn't think that writers would find a way to reference "The Dark Tower" in a more grounded book like this, but they found a way. I was amused.
The run time was under 2 hours, which I think works to the film's favor. It keeps things moving and it also makes it more viewer friendly as they'll have an easier time carving out a block of time to sit and watch it.
All in all, this was solid. I recommend giving it a watch. Even with all of the King adaptations, I think that this one will go down as one of the stronger ones overall. It's well acted, well shot, well written...for the most part. The script does get a little hamfisted at points, but all in all, I thought it worked. I'd still say it's worth checking out.
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