10 Badass Female Horror Villains
5. Dirty Bird Annie Wilkes - Misery
The psychopathic Annie Wilkes, portrayed by the legendary Kathy Bates, is the antagonist of the 1990 film Misery, based on the book of the same name by Stephen King. Bates was honoured with an Oscar for her terrifying and convincing performance.
When romance novelist Paul Sheldon, played by James Caan, wrecks his car in a blizzard and breaks both of his legs, he is taken in by the gentle and seemingly loving Wilkes, who is his number one fan. If you've seen this movie, you know how quickly her demeanour soon crumbles, but her commitment to him and his books does not. When she discovers that Sheldon has killed off her favourite character, she holds him hostage in order to have him bring the character back to life through another novel.
As the story progresses, she launches into moralistic tirades in response to small stressors, such as Sheldon complaining about the bond of paper she purchased for him. Additionally, she keeps Sheldon locked inside one room, drugs him to limit his escape attempts and smashes his injured knee with a ream of paper. Then, eventually, in the scene that everyone remembers, she hobbles him.
The hobbling in the film occurs in a different manner than in the book. If you haven't read the novel, do Mr. King a favour and look it up. Axes versus mallets. You be the judge.