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Misery (1990)

Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he’s writing to stay alive.

DramaThriller

After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.

Release Date
November 30, 1990
Runtime
1h 47m
Rating
7.7/10 (5205 votes)

Director: Rob Reiner

Cast: Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall, Frances Sternhagen, Graham Jarvis, Jerry Potter, Thomas Brunelle

Production: Castle Rock Entertainment, Nelson Entertainment
based on novel or booknursepsychopathcoloradocar crashauthorslasherpsychological thrillertortureobsessed fan
IMDb
Budget
$20M
Revenue
$61M
Full Cast (15 people)

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Reviews

CinemaSerf - 7/10

In a wintery Colorado, acclaimed author “Sheldon” (James Caan) comes off the road only to be luckily (we think!) saved by the timely intervention of “Annie” (Kathy Bates) who just happens to be a nurse. More than that, she’s a superfan of his work and so makes it clear that his care is a labour of love she is well prepared to carry out. Gradually, though, he begins to realise that she isn’t quite ...

March 4, 2025

Misery

Misery

Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he’s writing to stay alive.

Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he’s writing to stay alive.

7.7
107 min

After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.

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Production Info
StatusReleased
Original LanguageEnglish
Release Date11/30/1990
Director & Writers

Directed by

Written by

Produced by

,

Spoken Languages

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Cast

Kathy Bates

as Annie Wilkes

James Caan

as Paul Sheldon

Richard Farnsworth

as Buster

Lauren Bacall

as Marcia Sindell

Frances Sternhagen

as Virginia

Graham Jarvis

as Libby

Jerry Potter

as Pete

Thomas Brunelle

as Anchorman

More from Rob Reiner

Images

Misery poster
Poster
Misery backdrop
Backdrop

Videos

Rob Reiner & Kathy Bates Discuss Misery (1990) with Dave Karger | TCMFF 2025

Featurette

The Cockadoodie Car

Clip

I'm Your Number One Fan!

Clip

Rob Reiner Reflects on MISERY ('90)

Featurette

"It's For The Best"

Clip

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Misery about?

After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and f…

How long is Misery?

1h 47m

When was Misery released?

November 30, 1990

Who directed Misery?

Rob Reiner

Who stars in Misery?

Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth

What genre is Misery?

Drama, Thriller

What is Misery rated?

R