What is Misery rated, and is it OK for kids?

Real scares, strong violence and some strong language. The R is earned, so not for kids.

Misery (1990)

Film · 1h 47m · Rated R

Drama, Thriller

A famous author's biggest fan holds him captive, forcing him to resurrect a beloved character.

Suspenseful and tense. A full-attention watch at a measured pace. Emotionally it is devastating.

Streaming on Max.

Five more like this Get the app

Misery parents guide

Of what we could confirm, nothing runs past an R: real scares and a jolt or two.

Scare: Properly scary; Frightening, not just tense.
Jump scares: A couple; One or two sudden jolts.
Gore: Light gore; Some blood or injury, briefly.
Violence: Strong violence; Violence is frequent or intense.
Sex and nudity: None flagged; It is rated R, so treat our zero as unconfirmed.
Language: Moderate; Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Misery scary?: Yes, properly. Misery is the real thing without being an endurance test.
How gory is Misery?: Light gore and strong violence.
What is Misery rated, and is it OK for kids?: Real scares, strong violence and some strong language. The R is earned, so not for kids.

What is Misery about?

After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

There is a twist, and that is all we are saying.