Misery (1990)
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.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 30 November 1990 |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Rob Reiner |
| Starring | Kathy Bates, James Caan and Richard Farnsworth |
| Runtime | 107 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.6/10 · Metacritic 75/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 90% · TMDB users 7.8/10 |
| Budget | $20 million |
Where to watch Misery
Misery is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 28 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent Misery on Spectrum On Demand. It is for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Misery in 4 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Austria | Max €11.99 |
| Germany | Max €11.99 |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| United Kingdom | BBC iPlayer free |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Rob Reiner’s 1990 thriller runs 107 minutes, a duration that feels appropriately long for a man trapped in a remote house with his most devoted reader. The film relies on a simple, suffocating premise: a famous writer is forced to resurrect a character he killed off. Kathy Bates anchors the role of the nurse, making the captivity feel less like a plot device and more like a personal vendetta. It is a study in patience, where the danger is not the violence but the slow, relentless pressure to create.
How it did with audiences
It cost $20 million and took $61 million worldwide, a margin that probably kept the studio lights on for a few more quarters. On TMDB, users rate it 7.8 out of 10. The numbers suggest audiences recognized a job well done.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Misery.
Read more: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest · The Silence of the Lambs
Sources
- Misery on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q725552 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Misery (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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