6) Misery (1990)
“I’m your number one fan.”
These handful of words were given such chilling, horrific weight that it’s difficult to watch Kathy Bates in any other film after witnessing her psychopathic, Academy Award-winning turn as an uber crazy fan in Misery. Directed by Rob Reiner, this adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel is a taught, tense thriller with a pitch black comedy bite.
Writer Paul Sheldon (played brilliantly by James Caan) is rescued from a car crash by the aforementioned crazed fan and is physically forced to write new books to satisfy her own personal whims. That scene with a sledgehammer (you know the one, *shivers*), still haunts my dreams to this day. Caan’s and Bates’ chemistry is on-point and the tension throughout is palpable.
Don’t be an ol’ dirty birdy. Instead, check this psychological thriller out — we double dare you.