Horror lovers will find a lot of options to enjoy on Max in October, especially if they love the work of Stephen King. The long-delayed reboot of King’s Salem’s Lot arrived on Max earlier this month alongside previous adaptations like Doctor Sleep, The Shining, the original Salem’s Lot, and both the TV and film versions of It. But if you’re looking for an understated tale of terror from the master of horror, then the one (HBO) Max movie that you have to watch in October is Misery.
King wrote the original novel in 1987 as a parable for his addiction to drugs and perhaps for his aversion from his most devoted fans. Rob Reiner directed the film from legendary screenwriter William Goldman, who previously collaborated with the director on The Princess Bride. It’s the story of a novelist, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), whose life is saved by his “biggest fan,” Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), before she makes his existence a living hell by holding him captive and forcing him to write for her. Screen icon Lauren Bacall has a small role as Paul’s agent, Marcia Sindell, and there are a handful of other actors as well. Yet for the most part, Bates and Caan carry this movie by themselves.
Misery is far from an underrated film, but 34 years is enough time to dull the memory of just how great it really is. That’s why we’re sharing the reasons why you should watch Misery this month on Max.
Kathy Bates is absolutely fearsome as Annie Wilkes
You’ve never seen how scary a middle-aged woman can be until you’ve watched Kathy Bates at work in Misery. She won an Oscar for Best Actress for her turn as Annie Wilkes, and it was well-deserved. Annie is one of the most frightening villains created by King in part because she feels rooted in reality. There’s nothing supernatural about Annie, she’s just demented and deranged. In Annie’s eyes, Paul has committed the unforgivable sin of killing off her favorite literary character, Misery Chastain, and she’s more than willing to torture him to make him “fix” that mistake.
The movie doesn’t reveal Annie’s dark side right away. She really does save Paul’s life from a near-fatal accident. He even seems to like her at first. But as soon as she discovers that Paul has dared to mess with Misery, Annie becomes unhinged. The amazing thing about Bates’ performance is that Annie still has some sympathetic qualities even after her turn. But there is no denying that Annie’s madness is terrifying, especially when she catches Paul breaking her rules.
James Caan gives a believable and compelling performance
Although James Caan has had plenty of showy rolls, he has a very restrained performance opposite Bates’ over-the-top persona. Paul is the audience surrogate in this story, whose limited mobility following his accident places him at a severe disadvantage. Caan conveys Paul’s fear of Annie in his body language even when the character is trying to hide it. Similarly, Caan displays an innate ability to let the audience see the wheels turning in Paul’s mind as he plots his escape.
Just as every good hero needs a great villain, Annie wouldn’t have been as memorable if she didn’t have Paul to play off during their time together. Because of his physical limitations, Paul can’t simply overpower Annie. So he has to come up with some other solution. Watching Caan’s character go through the entire experience is mesmerizing.
The film creates incredible tension when Annie’s not onscreen
There are times in the movie when Paul seemingly starts to get the upper hand by sneaking out of his room and discovering Annie’s secrets while she’s away from the house. But these scenes also feel incredibly tense because it seems like Paul would be in terrible danger if Annie discovered his movements. Even leaving any trace of his actions threatens Paul’s safety, and Annie is someone who makes good on her threats.
Of course, this harkens back to Bates’ performance. Annie wouldn’t have cast such a long shadow on the scenes she isn’t in if Bates hadn’t successful capture her sense of menace. This makes the audience fear for Paul’s safety, because when Annie is crossed, she’s very unforgiving.
The film ends on an understated moment of horror
It would do this film an injustice to simply spoil how things turn out between Paul and Annie. But we do want to call attention to the very final moment in the film, which feels like it puts the main character in King’s shoe’s as he meets his “biggest fan.”
It’s not a conventional jump scare, but it’s enough to convey an understated moment of horror that caps off an unforgettable movie.
Watch Misery on Max.
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