Men be Gaslighting
Gaslight (1944) d: George Cukor
Unsane (2018) d: Steven Soderbergh
Lucky (2020) d: Natasha Kermani
The Invisible Man (2020) d: Leigh Whannell
Gerald’s Game* (2017) d: Mike Flanagan
I didn’t know this until recently, but the term “gaslighting” comes from the movie, Gaslight, which follows a husband manipulating his young wife into believing she’s going crazy. It won Best Actress (Ingrid Bergman) and Best Production Design at the Oscars, and has clearly had an indelible effect on even our language. Fun fact: it’s also Angela Lansbury’s film debut!
Unsane takes more than a page out of Gaslight’s book - the story of a woman trying to escape her stalker whose trauma leads her to be (more or less) accidentally committed to a mental institution, where things naturally spiral downhill. I think it’s been unfairly reduced to its gimmick - it was shot entirely on an iPhone - but it’s honestly great, with an unsurprisingly nuanced turn from Claire Foy.
Lucky is also inspired by stalking, but it’s a more personal creation. Brea Grant, who also stars, wrote the story after her experience with a dangerous stalker and the ineffective, frustrating law enforcement and legal systems she had to work with (or through). Unlike the other films here, this isn’t grounded in realism, it’s an absurdist metaphor. This movie isn’t subtle. That being said, just about every woman who watches will be familiar with exhausting dismissiveness in the face of systemic violence against women.
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells has had many lives, the latest a 2020 film adaptation starring Elisabeth Moss. Hoo boy this movie is amazing and STRESSFUL. There are a couple of jaw dropping moments throughout, but the real horror here is the trauma of domestic abuse, and despite the sci fi trappings, it is harrowingly grounded. The first 20 minutes are almost totally silent, and I could barely breathe.
The adaptation of previously thought to be “unfilmable” Gerald’s Game turns out to be extremely filmable due to Mike Flanagan’s directorial skill and Carla Gugino’s stellar performance. The vast majority of this movie, she is by herself, handcuffed to a bed, aren’t you curious how they keep it interesting? Because they do. Be aware - there are some very uncomfortable flashbacks dealing with sexual abuse and gaslighting of children.