My favorite Stephen King movie is hitting Netflix this weekend and it’s not The Shining ‣ Diverse Daily

When people talk about the best films inspired by Stephen King novels, The Shining is almost immediately brought up. And while that film, directed by Stanley Kubrick and staring Jack Nicholson, is certainly an iconic horror film, it takes a much different approach to the source material, and as a result, exists (in my mind, at least) quite far apart apart from the novel that inspired it.

And while there have been other Stephen King adaptations that have a more faithful take on his work (Carrie and The Life of Chuck immediately spring to mind), far and away, my absolute favorite Stephen King adaptation is 1990’s Misery. And if you haven’t been able to check this film out yet, it is going to be available on Netflix this weekend, starting March 1.

What is Misery about?

When fandom goes too far

Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Kathy Bates and James Caan, Misery follows the story of acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon who writes regency romance books featuring a character named Misery. Though the books are successful, Sheldon plans to end the series so he can write something else. However, on his way to delivering his final manuscript to his publisher, he finds himself caught in a blizzard and crashes his car. He is rescued from the wreckage by a nurse named Annie Wilkes, who tells him that she will take care of him until the weather clears.

However, when Wilkes finds (and reads) his final manuscript, she becomes enraged at the ending, burning it and insisting that he re-write the book to her liking, or suffer some truly dire consequences.

The film may be over 35 years old, but I find the way it deals with modern issues like fandom, parasocial relationships, and obsessive behavior to be very timely for 2026. The film also features truly stunning performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, the latter of whom won an Academy Award for her performance.

Where else can you stream Misery?

You can buy or rent the film in the usual places

Person holding Roku remote in front of Roku TV.

If you don’t have a Netflix account but still want to check out this iconic film, it is available to purchase or rent from Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video Google Play, and Fandango at Home. It is not available on any other streaming service for free right now as of March 2026.