Opening

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—— Fill the Void May 24
—— A Green Story
—— Alyce Kills May 24

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Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
88% The East May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31

Misery (1990)

tomatometer

90

Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 52
Fresh: 47 | Rotten: 5

Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.

75

Average Rating: 6.5/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 2

Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.

audience

83

liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 152,311

My Rating

Movie Info

Adapted from a Stephen King novel, Rob Reiner's Misery cast James Caan as a writer at a career crossroads. The film opens with Paul Sheldon (Caan) completing work on his latest novel, a break from his popular series of novels featuring the character Misery Chastain. He gets into a severe car accident and is saved by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a reclusive woman who nurses him back to health. Annie is a huge fan of the Misery novels, and she finishes reading the new one while Paul is

R,

Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

William Goldman

Dec 22, 1998

Columbia Pictures

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Cast

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All Critics (52) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (5) | DVD (18)

Popular moviemaking -- elegantly economical, artlessly artful -- doesn't get much better than this.

October 14, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Bates has a field day with her role, creating a quirky, memorable object of hate.

September 25, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
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A skillfully pared-down (if psychologically thin) horror thriller.

September 25, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
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Reiner captures just the right level of physical tension, but for the most part wisely emphasises the mental duels. Terrific.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
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Misery is a blunt instrument that fractures the kneecaps more often than it tickles the funnybone.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comments (7)
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A weak handshake of a movie, it is slightly repellent -- hardly gripping, much less knuckle-whitening.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A quality film of suspense and manipulation.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Director Rob Reiner creates an atmosphere of tense horror wrapped around rich dialogue ("Cockadoodie dirty birdie!"), and in the process, he gets sterling performances from Caan and Bates.

September 27, 2009 Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine)
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Kathy Bates brilliantly portrays Annie as someone with absolutely no sense of her own monstrosity.

September 8, 2009 Full Review Source: Clothes on Film
Clothes on Film

The Collector DVD contains significant comments from helmer Reiner, who claims that while Kathy Bates was always his first and only choice, James Caan was not (most stars turned him down) and trivia too, like Advice for the Stalked or Diagnosing Annie.

October 10, 2007 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
EmanuelLevy.Com

a horrorshow of close-ups

October 9, 2007 Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk
Q Network Film Desk

Except for the flat, compromised ending, Reiner's smooth direction and Goldman's nicely structured script make this version of King's novella enjoyable as a horror flick and psychological thriller, not to mention Kathy Bates' superb turn as the wacko fan

October 8, 2007
EmanuelLevy.Com

The dark duet between Paul and the frankly psychopathic Annie is played to tense perfection.

September 25, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

From start to harrowing finish, it is blissfully apparent that Rob Reiner can indeed turn his hand to virtually anything.

September 25, 2007 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

Director Rob Reiner is clearly more comfortable with the humor and humanity than the gory horror in King's grisly tale.

September 25, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Rob Reiner builds Stephen King's tale with clean, effortless strokes.

June 30, 2007 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Combustible Celluloid

Sweat-inducing suspense thriller.

October 5, 2006
ColeSmithey.com

It's a definite KEEPER!!

June 2, 2006 Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

Superb!

November 17, 2005

Horrifying tale with deserved Oscar performance by Kathy Bates.

October 14, 2005
Video-Reviewmaster.com

Audience Reviews for Misery

When it comes to adapting a Stephen King horror story, some films tend to miss the mark, and others deliver a tense, terrifying and ultimately bone chilling unforgettable experience. This is the case with the 1990 King adaptation of Misery. The film follows closely the story of the novel, and it's one of those rare screen adaptations that is well adapted from the novel. James Caan is excellent as Paul Sheldon, the imprisoned author held captive by Annie Wilkes played by Kathy Bates. Both are superb in their respective roles, and Kathy Bates is one of the most disturbing and memorable screen villains in horror history, and her performance is one of the standouts of the film. The film is a fine blend of psychological horror and psycho horror. This picture still delivers after all these years and is hard to match in terms of telling a truly chilling story. If you want one of the better Stephen King adaptation's, then give this film a shot. With a great cast, great directing and an engaging plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, Misery remains of the defining genre films. This film has some truly intense scenes that are not for the faint of heart, and you simply can't turn away from Kathy Bates's performance that earned her a well deserved Oscar win. Like I stated earlier, King adaptations can sometimes be a little sketchy in terms of interesting material and effective plot, but Misery is a strong movie that is a must see for Stephen King fans looking for a well adapted film.
June 9, 2010
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

Wow, didn't know Kathy Bates had been acting this long....this and Dolores Claiborne are the best films I've seen her in...she's spectacular as the villain! James Caan is good also. Very suspenseful and full of thrills as you wonder if the famous author is ever going to escape. I'm a huge fan of Stephen King movies, and this shot to near the top of the my best-of list the first time I saw it!
October 22, 2011
stormyweather980

Super Reviewer

    1. Paul Sheldon: Eat it till ya choke, you sick, twisted fuck!
    – Submitted by Adam O (4 months ago)
    1. Annie Wilkes: He didn't get out of the COCKADOODIE CAR!
    – Submitted by Tracey M (4 months ago)
    1. Annie Wilkes: He didn't get out of the COCKADOODIE CAR!
    – Submitted by Tracey M (4 months ago)
    1. Annie Wilkes: I call it 'operation hobble'.
    – Submitted by Matt S (10 months ago)
    1. Annie Wilkes: It's the swearing, Paul. It has no nobility.
    2. Paul Sheldon: These are slum kids, I was a slum kid. Everybody talks like that.
    3. Annie Wilkes: THEY DO NOT! At the feedstore do I say, 'Oh, now Wally, give me a bag of that F-in' pig feed, and a pound of that bitchly cow corn'? At the bank do I say, 'Oh, Mrs. Malenger, here is one big bastard of a check, now give me some of your Christ-ing money!' THERE, LOOK THERE, NOW SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!
    – Submitted by Bria M (11 months ago)
    1. Annie Wilkes: Oh, Paul. What a poet you are.
    – Submitted by Ceara R (12 months ago)

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