Misery (1990)
The legendary tale of an author and his number one fan, Misery is directed by Rob Reiner from an adaptation written by William Goldman. The source material is the Stephen King novel of the same name, so unsurprisingly, the film is intensely disturbing and scary.
The plot follows Paul Sheldon (James Caan), a successful writer who is seriously injured in a car accident on a remote, rural road, in a blizzard. He is rescued by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who takes him to her home and nurses him back to health.
Unfortunately, Annie is psychologically disturbed and gradually reveals to Sheldon the fact that she is obsessed with the lead character of the book series he is about to draw to a close. When she discovers that Sheldon has killed off her favourite character, Annie becomes angry and refuses to let him go until he writes a new book, resurrecting the fictional individual. Over time, Sheldon becomes desperate to escape, and Annie begins to hurt him even more.
While Misery is a fascinating examination of celebrity culture, and the way in which fiction can resonate too deeply with an audience, its central kidnap plot is truly the stuff of nightmares. The loss of power and agency experienced by Paul Sheldon is palpable to the point of physical discomfort for the viewer, and the depth of Annie’s adoration for her favourite character is intensely compelling.
