The dark duet between Paul and the frankly psychopathic Annie is played to tense perfection.
Comment
09/25/07
Misery (1990)
90
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:50
Fresh:45
Rotten:5
Average Rating:7.3/10
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.
Runtime: 3 hrs 34 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Romance author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) longs for parting with Misery. Sheldon's plucky heroine of seven novels has delivered Sheldon fame and fortune and recognition beyond the average writer's... [More]
Starring: Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen
Director: Rob Reiner
Reviews for Misery
Top CriticReiner captures just the right level of physical tension, but for the most part wisely emphasises the mental duels. Terrific.
06/24/06
Top CriticWhere it is significantly elevated is in the terrifyingly convincing performance by Bates as a schizophrenic psychopath.
01/01/00
Top CriticFrom start to harrowing finish, it is blissfully apparent that Rob Reiner can indeed turn his hand to virtually anything.
09/25/07
Top CriticNo review available.
10/15/03
No review available.
05/03/05
Reiner seems to have been gambling very heavily on Kathy Bates's performance to set this film apart and make it a Reiner film. Bates was good but not that good.
01/01/00
No review available.
07/30/02
A weak handshake of a movie, it is slightly repellent -- hardly gripping, much less knuckle-whitening.
01/01/00
Misery is a blunt instrument that fractures the kneecaps more often than it tickles the funnybone.
05/20/03
Top CriticDirector Rob Reiner is clearly more comfortable with the humor and humanity than the gory horror in King's grisly tale.
09/25/07
Top CriticNo review available.
09/19/02
Bates deserves her Oscar as the psychopath fan; a deft blending of comedy and horror.
10/14/02
The result is arguably the best King novel-to-film adaptation yet, a tense character study that grows and builds and has plenty of humor, both light and dark, along the way.
01/01/00
Kathy Bates brilliantly portrays Annie as someone with absolutely no sense of her own monstrosity.
09/08/09
Not only is Misery the best adaptation of a Stephen King book ever made, it's the only good one ever made!
01/01/00
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.
09/27/09
A first-rate suspense film with excellent performances.
10/08/05
Sweat-inducing suspense thriller.
10/05/06
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
10/08/07
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Halloween is a great time for three of life's essential pleasures -- pigging out on candy, dressing up in a fun costume, and watching an obscene amount of horror movies.... More...
May 17, 2005:
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From Cannes, The Hollywood Reporter brings news of an upcoming ensemble comedy that sounds pretty enticing: Kathy Bates ("Misery"), Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork... More...
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