Misery

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Misery

R

1990

1h 47m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

153 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who claims to be his biggest fan. Annie brings him to her remote cabin to recover, where her obsession takes a dark turn when she discovers Sheldon is killing off her favorite character from his novels. As Sheldon devises plans for escape, Annie grows increasingly controlling, even violent, as she forces the author to shape his writing to suit her twisted fantasies.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

Feb 5

The director, Rob Reiner, keeps the story as funny as possible, but after a while the conventional side of the horror plot takes over.

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Joe Kane

New York Daily News

Jan 22

Rob Reiner's clever but unobtrusive direction keeps the story in tight focus.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Jan 22

7/10

While it's entertaining, the conversion does not come without cost: a gross simplification that may rankle some King aficionados. Virtually all of the novel's substance has been chucked.

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

5d

10/10

Misery is a horror movie that proves you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the genre to be truly terrifying. Sometimes all you need is one truly unhinged person and no escape.

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Mar 7

And though it’s odd to say about such a sinister thriller, Misery is Reiner at his most effortless.

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Martin Knelman

National Post

Jan 22

To me, the merit of Misery was limited to the formidable acting of Kathy Bates, who would be astonishing even if Caan's wimpy performances didn't make her the winner by default.

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Damion

Jan 21

Another one of Stephen Kings novels adapted flawlessly!

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Skai T.

@RT46035822 3d

Loved every second of it

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Jason H

@RT50328122 May 12

Sanitized movie based on a grisly book.

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acsdoug D

@acsdoug May 1

Good story, but Kathy Bates' performance alone is worth the watch. She's terrific.

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Tom F

@RT55173143 Apr 24

It holds together pretty well after all these years.

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Rosie D.

@Rosieeeee Mar 28

A masterclass in 90s psychological thrillers. The adaptation is practically flawless. It's tightly plotted, and every single setup has a satisfying payoff. Kathy Bates perfectly captures that terrifying brand of obsessive fandom. Honestly, a modern-day remake centered around toxic stan culture would be so fitting for 2026.

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Rob Reiner

Director

James Caan

Paul Sheldon

Kathy Bates

Annie Wilkes

Frances Sternhagen

Virginia McCain

Richard Farnsworth

J.T. McCain

Lauren Bacall

Marcia Sindell

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Synopsis

After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who claims to be his biggest fan. Annie brings him to her remote cabin to recover, where her obsession takes a dark turn when she discovers Sheldon is killing off her favorite character from his novels. As Sheldon devises plans for escape, Annie grows increasingly controlling, even violent, as she forces the author to shape his writing to suit her twisted fantasies.

Director: Rob Reiner
Producer: Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman
Screenwriter: William Goldman
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., Image Entertainment Inc., Columbia Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Nelson Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 30, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.7M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround