Episode 10 Misery

In this episode of Mind Over Murder, we break down Stephen King’s Misery (1990), a psychological horror classic that explores obsession, control, and survival.

After a near-fatal car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon is “rescued” by Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who claims to be his number one fan. What begins as caretaking quickly becomes captivity when Annie discovers Paul has killed off her favorite character and demands he rewrite the story her way. Trapped, injured, and completely dependent on his captor, Paul must navigate manipulation, violence, and psychological terror to survive.

Kallie and her mom, Teresa, walk through the film scene by scene, discussing Annie’s escalating behavior, gaslighting, and abusive dynamics, as well as the rare example of competent police work in a horror film. The conversation also explores possible mental health diagnoses, including psychosis, paranoia, and mood instability, while acknowledging the limits of diagnosing fictional characters.

The episode closes with a discussion of trauma, PTSD, and how the brain stores life-threatening experiences, including how intensive trauma therapies like Brainspotting can help process events like prolonged captivity.

A tense, disturbing film with surprisingly deep psychological themes, Misery remains one of Stephen King’s most unsettling stories — and one of his most human.

Listener discretion advised.