10 Hardest-To-Watch Movie Scenes
7. Misery - Paul Gets Hobbled
Walking the line between fandom and obsession, Kathy Bates's Oscar-winning performance as Annie Wilkes is one of the most psychologically disturbing ever - transforming from a kind-hearted Samaritan into a sadistic captor within the blink of an eye.
When a freak blizzard causes romance novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) to crash his car, it seems to be good fortune that Annie is there to save him from his perilous fate - a trained nurse with a spare room she dedicates to his recovery. Of course, it isn't quite as simple as that: Annie is Paul's number one fan, and wants to read the manuscript for the final novel in the 'Misery' Chastain series.
Cue Annie's uncontrollable rage, and in turn, her need to control everything about Paul's condition. Utilising his incapacity to her advantage, she has demands about the content of his writing she forces him to carry out, culminating in one of the nastiest punishments on screen. When he escapes his confines, she places a wooden block between his legs, and continues to shatter his feet with a sledgehammer. It's a terrifyingly violent act that comes out of nowhere - made all the more chilling for Annie's placid resignation and tinkling Beethoven piano accompaniment.