Gerald's Game Director Mike Flanagan Releases Commentary Track for Netflix Film

There's no arguing that streaming services like Netflix are more convenient than physical media, [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

There's no arguing that streaming services like Netflix are more convenient than physical media, but those services have yet to catch up with the offerings available on home video, with Gerald's Game director Mike Flanagan teaming up with The Commentary Cast to release a commentary for the film. Cast and crew commentary tracks are nothing new in the realm of home video, as they began appearing on DVD releases and have continued up through Blu-ray, yet with movies and TV series that are exclusive to streaming services, they often fail to land on home video, denying audiences the chance to learn insight into how such a project came to life.

"If you've ever wanted to hear a director's commentary for Gerald's Game, here you go... many thanks for Grant for including me," Flanagan shared on Twitter. "Still hoping Netflix will incorporate commentary tracks as an option on their original content - it'd only be upside for them!"

In the Stephen King adaptation, "Once again, Jessie Burlingame has been talked into submitting to her husband, Gerald's, kinky sex games — something that she's frankly had enough of, and they never held much charm for her to begin with. So much for a 'romantic getaway' at their secluded summer home. After Jessie is handcuffed to the bedpost s— and Gerald crosses a line with his wife — the day ends with deadly consequences. Now Jessie is utterly trapped in an isolated lakeside house that has become her prison — and comes face-to-face with her deepest, darkest fears and memories. Her only company is that of the various voices filling her mind… as well as the shadows of nightfall that may conceal an imagined or very real threat right there with her…"

While most streaming services will merely offer audiences their exclusive movies or TV shows with a handful of trailers or promotional materials, recent years have started to see the inclusion of more featurettes and behind-the-scenes glimpses of those projects. Disney+, for example, offers some of the supplementary materials you'd normally find on physical media, such as deleted scenes, featurettes, and even filmmaker commentaries. HBO Max recently released an alternate, black-and-white version of Zack Snyder's Justice League, just a week after the adventure initially debuted on the service.

Flanagan is currently working on multiple projects for Netflix.

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