Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he’s writing to stay alive.
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.
Misery (1990) is a drama and thriller film directed by Rob Reiner, released on November 30, 1990 with a runtime of 1h 47m. It stars Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth and Lauren Bacall. Viewers rate it 7.8 out of 10 across 5,394 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Misery before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Misery.
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Trailer
Teaser
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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
June Christopher
as Anchorwoman
Julie Payne
as Reporter #1
Archie Hahn
as Reporter #2
Gregory Snegoff
as Reporter #3
Directed by Rob Reiner, written by William Goldman and Stephen King, produced by Andrew Scheinman and Rob Reiner.
Average viewer score of 7.8/10 from 5,394 ratings.
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 the woman she’s…
Reviewed on March 4, 2025
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Misery (1990) is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel and HBO Max, and to rent or buy from Spectrum On Demand, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Misery (1990) includes Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall and Frances Sternhagen. The film was directed by Rob Reiner. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Misery was released on November 30, 1990 and runs for 1h 47m.
Misery (1990) holds an average rating of 7.8 out of 10 from 5,394 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and thriller films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Misery trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
