Overview
A chilling tale of obsession and survival unfolds in the remote mountains of Colorado.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- dread-filled
- late night horror
- winter storm viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the taut, frightening adaptation for its suspense and especially the standout performances by Kathy Bates and James Caan.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Paul is immobilized and held inside Annie's remote Colorado home, making the domestic space a prison.
Annie's devotion to Paul's novels turns into demands that he rewrite the fate of Misery and submit to her control.
Paul's manuscript and his ability to write become central tools in negotiating with and resisting Annie.
Paul's confinement, injuries, and dependence on Annie are presented through the narrow spaces of the house and bedroom.
Films like Misery, and why
The Shining
shares psychological horror, an isolated setting, captivity, and escalating domestic terror
Room
shares a resourceful protagonist trapped by a violent captor in a claustrophobic thriller
Play Misty for Me
shares obsessive fandom, psychological manipulation, and a tense single-location atmosphere
10 Cloverfield Lane
shares psychological suspense, confinement, and a struggle for control between two isolated characters
Movie Details
- Director
- Rob Reiner
- Release Date
- 1990-11-30
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (5435)
Cast
- Kathy Bates
- James Caan
- Richard Farnsworth
- Lauren Bacall
- Frances Sternhagen
- Graham Jarvis
- Jerry Potter
- Thomas Brunelle
- June Christopher
- Julie Payne
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC, HBO Max
- Rent
- Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Misery about?
- A stranded novelist fights to survive the devoted nurse whose rescue becomes a terrifying imprisonment.
- What is Misery like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Misery as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Misery violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Misery as brutal.
- What did critics think of Misery?
- Critics broadly praised the taut, frightening adaptation for its suspense and especially the standout performances by Kathy Bates and James Caan.
- Which films are like Misery?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shining, Room, Play Misty for Me, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.
- How long is Misery?
- Misery runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Misery?
- In United States, Misery streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC, HBO Max.
