Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he's writing to stay alive.
Misery is a 1990 psychological horror thriller film directed by Rob Reiner, written by William Goldman, produced by Castle Rock Entertainment and Nelson Entertainment, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It is based off of Stephen King's 1987 novel, Misery. The film stars James Caan and Kathy Bates. It was nominated for and won Best Actress.
"I'm your number one fan." - Annie Wilkes
Plot
Author Paul Sheldon is on the verge of completing his newest novel when he is involved in a dangerous car crash. He is saved by nurse Annie Wilkes, who claims she's his number one fan. As Paul recovers from his injuries, the truth about Annie slowly comes out, and he realizes that he is an extremely dangerous situation.
My Favorite Part of Misery
This film is fantastic.
There isn't really one thing about Misery that I like. I just love how well the whole thing works together. I guess I'll say that I think Kathy Bates and James Caan are so good together, and their characters and performances compliment each other. It makes everything else feel so easy. Since these two are so believable and fit their characters so well, it allows you to get invested in everything else in this movie.
My Least Favorite Part of Misery
There's not really much negative I have to say about this movie. If there's one thing, I guess it's the police officer storyline. It's not given a ton of screentime and doesn't really pay off in a satisfying way, so it's not as strong as the rest of the movie, but I don't really dislike it. I think it adds to building out the outside world. So that's my least favorite thing, but it's still kind of a positive.
Why Misery Is Fantastic
This is a great story that is executed to absolute perfection. From the screenplay to the performances to the characters to the direction, everything is done with the best of effort. Rob Reiner proves to everyone that he isn't just a comedic director and crafts a tense, uncomfortable film that will have you biting your nails on the edge of your seat. It's one of the most underrated movies I have ever seen.
Final Thoughts and Score
Misery is a near perfect film that has a super intense story with fantastic characters and performances topped with some incredible direction from Rob Reiner.
I will go Sweet here. Age range is 13+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great) Savory (Good)
Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)
"Misery"
Fun Factor: 9.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10
Story: 9.5/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Quality: 9.5/10
Directed by Rob Reiner
Rated R for strong bloody violence, frightening themes and images, language, thematic elements
Released on November 30, 2022
1 hour and 47 minutes
James Caan as Paul Sheldon
Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes
Richard Farnsworth as Sheriff Buster
Frances Sternhagen as Deputy Virginia
Lauren Bacall as Marcia Sindell