Real ones know that Stephen King adaptations make the best Christmas movies of all. “The Shining,” for instance, features a family staying in a cozy secluded hotel for the winter. Yes, there is some homicidal behavior involved, but that’s balanced out by all the snug sweaters the characters get to wear.
That movie is only beaten out by “Misery,” the 1990 King adaptation that ended up winning an Oscar. “Misery” centers on Paul Sheldon (James Caan), a novelist who is severely injured in a car crash. Thankfully, he is rescued by Annie (Kathy Bates), a sweet retired nurse who just so happens to be his number one fan. Paul spends the winter recovering from his wounds in her house, and, in the process, the two come to know each other well. Paul helps Annie deal with her loneliness, and Annie helps Paul grow as a writer. It’s a sweet story about found family, so long as you ignore that one part with the sledgehammer.
“Misery” is now streaming for free on Tubi, with the only catch being that you have to sit through some ads. You might’ve thought the movie would be available on one of the many popular streaming services out there, but think again: “Misery” is currently not on HBO Max or Netflix or Hulu or Mubi or Apple TV. And not only does Prime Video not have the movie to stream for free, but it doesn’t allow you to rent it either. As of November 2025, you can only buy it on Amazon for $14.99.
Thank goodness for Tubi, the only platform keeping “Misery” available for free. And if you truly can’t stand ads, don’t forget to check out your local library. Mine has a DVD of the film, and there’s a decent chance yours does, too.
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Is Misery actually a Christmas movie? It’s complicated
Paul sitting in a wheelchair next to Annie in Misery – Columbia Pictures
While “Misery” is, of course, a lot more disturbing than most Christmas films, it does unironically have something of a cozy vibe to it. It’s reminiscent of “The Day After Tomorrow,” a movie that’s technically about the apocalypse but which still has some fun scenes where the characters cozy up by the fire to escape the winter wonderland outside. It may not be a Christmas movie, but both films are undeniably great for winter viewing.
It’s also worth noting that, as the “Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie?” debate has made clear, it’s not merely snow that qualifies a movie for the category. “Die Hard” qualifies not just because it’s set during Christmas but because the film’s all about John McClane (Bruce Willis) saving his marriage. Its closing scene is sweet and romantic, the sort of thing that’d feel right at home in a more traditional Christmas movie.
“Misery” may never feature a moment as wholesome as John and his wife’s rekindled love, but it does capture a whole different type of holiday vibe: the feeling of being trapped at a family get-together. We can’t all relate to having a twisted fan holding you hostage, but most of us can relate to wanting to leave a holiday party but knowing it’s not socially acceptable to go too soon, and that’s exactly what this movie feels like. In that sense, “Misery” might be just the truest Christmas film of all.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
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