Misery (1990) ****
Misery (1990) is one of those films that is right up my alley but that I only managed to watch for the first time now. I still haven't read the book but then again, I haven't read nearly enough Stephen King books. I know I'm definitely in the minority here—this film seems to be one that most people have seen, whether they are a horror fan or not—so I'm glad I finally remedied this glaring omission in my film watching history.
Largely a one-room, two-lead cat and mouse story about a writer who is "rescued" and imprisoned by his "number one fan," Misery actually surprised me with how funny it is and how "light" it feels until the last act, where it goes gonzo. It's really more of a thriller than a straight out horror film and I found myself thinking that it could have easily been rated PG-13 until the last fifteen minutes. Bates and Caan are both superb, the former in her ability to portray bipolar and other disorders incredibly well, turning on a dime more than once, and the latter in his ability to stay cool, placate, bide his time, and plot escape.
You can find my Stephen King Feature Film & Television Adaptations Ranked list here.
Largely a one-room, two-lead cat and mouse story about a writer who is "rescued" and imprisoned by his "number one fan," Misery actually surprised me with how funny it is and how "light" it feels until the last act, where it goes gonzo. It's really more of a thriller than a straight out horror film and I found myself thinking that it could have easily been rated PG-13 until the last fifteen minutes. Bates and Caan are both superb, the former in her ability to portray bipolar and other disorders incredibly well, turning on a dime more than once, and the latter in his ability to stay cool, placate, bide his time, and plot escape.
You can find my Stephen King Feature Film & Television Adaptations Ranked list here.
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