#71: Misery

Release Date: November 30th, 1990

Format: DVD

Written by: William Goldman

Directed by: Rob Reiner

4 Stars

Misery is simplistic in its execution, with a somewhat formulaic script from master craftsman William Goldman, direction from Rob Reiner (doing his best Hitchcock impersonation, but otherwise Reiner is a remarkably unremarkable visual director), and working from a best-selling Stephen King novel. All of these ingredients seem like they would add up to a competent, if unambitious popcorn movie.

And maybe most people think of Misery in those terms. I would disagree. I think it’s a masterpiece.

Sometimes simple can be compelling. I’ve seen Misery literally dozens of times in my life, and it’s always a joy to watch. The pacing is effective, the performances are fun, and the small scale of the film suits Reiner well. Sure, Goldman is hitting all of the formulaic thriller script beats, but hey, when executed and performed well, formulas can really work.