Stephen King’s Twisted Horror Masterpiece Officially Finds a Free Streaming Home

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Paul (James Caan) bandaged up in his wheelchair looking up and offscreen in Misery

Published Oct 31, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT

Hannah covers horror, sci-fi, and games at Collider, where she writes news and features, reviews new releases, and interviews the people who make them. She’s helping build out Collider’s gaming coverage, with Pokémon as one of her specialties. If she isn’t writing about a monster, she’s probably watching one on a tape from her VHS collection.

Annie Wilkes has done very little for the reputation of devoted readers. Kathy Bates' character in Misery loves her favorite books enough to make their author wish she had never picked one up. Her investment in a fictional woman’s happiness becomes a real man’s problem, and James Caan’s Paul Sheldon has to keep writing if he wants any chance of getting out alive.

Rob Reiner’s adaptation remains one of Stephen King’s most effective nightmares because its danger is so personal. Paul depends on Annie before he understands what she is capable of, leaving him trapped in a relationship where accepting help comes with increasingly horrifying conditions. For viewers whose horror-watching continues beyond Halloween, there is good news about where to find it next.

Misery begins streaming free on Tubi in the United States on Sunday, November 1. The 1990 movie joins the platform’s November lineup the day after Halloween, giving audiences another chance to watch Bates’ Oscar-winning performance. Tubi’s ad-supported service requires no paid subscription.

Kathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes Still Makes ‘Misery’ Essential Horror Viewing

Adapted by William Goldman, the movie follows Paul after a car accident leaves him injured and stranded. Former nurse Annie rescues him and brings him into her remote home, where her enthusiasm for his novels initially seems harmless. Once she learns what happens to her beloved Misery Chastain, however, she decides Paul owes her a different story. The cast also includes Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, and Lauren Bacall.

Bates won Best Actress at the 1991 Academy Awards for playing Annie, and the performance remains the movie's greatest weapon. Her warmth can feel sincere, which makes Paul’s position even worse. Annie believes she deserves his trust and gratitude. Any suggestion that he might want independence becomes an insult to everything she thinks she has done for him. Caan makes Paul’s attempts to manage those expectations agonizing to watch. He has to choose his responses carefully, keeping Annie satisfied while looking for an opportunity to escape. Reiner turns ordinary exchanges into suspense sequences because even a small disagreement can expose how little control Paul has over his circumstances.

The movie’s depiction of obsessive fandom has also remained painfully relevant. Annie’s affection gives way to a conviction that she has ownership over Paul’s work. She considers herself qualified to decide what he should create, and she has the power to enforce those decisions.

Misery streams free on Tubi beginning November 1.