PopHorror Let's Get Scared
We have seen plenty of celebrities who suffered from fixated fans, who are ready to do whatever it takes, from garden variety obsession to ending their lives. Rob Reiner’s Misery showed us what could happen when a cat plays with its prey, holding it captive in a corner to make it weak. Keeping it powerless, just looking for an escape.
Let’s get into the review of this classic thriller.
Synopsis
After a famous author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, Annie Wilkins (Kathy Bates), he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
Misery was a Stephen King story run amok on the big screen. His name is legendary enough that people flock to get his books. The movie adaptations could never describe the actual brutality in King’s novels, and this was no different. The original stories had so much more depth, getting under your skin. Misery is an honest look at what would happen if a crazed fan took you in after a terrible accident, and as much as you fought, you could only miss the prayers of trying to escape, only to be injured more. I guess you could say that when your body goes into survival mode, nothing is going to stand in your way as long as you are breathing. It’s like a heart full of pride that embraces you.
Misery is the type of movie that you know could happen in reality. It carries the weight of people like John Lennon or Selena. However, in this situation, eventually you will get your body better enough to fight for your life. Misery was a shout-out of respect to celebrities who have a rabid fanbase and need constant protection. We look down on pedophiles and serial rapists, with good reason. However, we look past threats and sum it up to being “normal celebrity fans.” They also state that these people asked for attention by being artists. It’s really a sad state when someone can’t check their own mail and then gets berated for trying to explain their fear. No one asks for danger just for being an artist.
In the end, Misery is a movie with perfect acting and a beautiful story based on the book. The film will keep you guessing and cringing at certain scenes. There is a reason the film is iconic. The name Stephen King in the 80s and 90s was pure legend. I bet your parents still have a bookcase full of his novels. King opens a nightmare world that comes from his own nightmares. This proves we all have hidden fears. The film also makes you look at the decline of mental illness. You could have everything you want right in front of you and still break down slowly with each passing day.
Misery will always remain in my regular cycle of movies. I know it so well that it’s just background noise while I work. Either way, it still stands as iconic in my opinion.
