20 Best Performances In Horror Movies

Reading Stephen King's Misery without seeing Rob Reiner's 1990 adaptation, it would be fair to think that no one - surely no one - could possibly play demented fan Annie Wilkes as she's written.

Enter Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar for her obsessive portrayal of a woman driven mad by her love for captive writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan) and his most acclaimed work.

Caan is on top form as the wounded writer, holed up in Wilkes' house and forced to write a novel for her enjoyment, but Misery is Bates' show through-and-through. Cruel, inhumane, insane and intimidating, every time she walks into the room you can't help but assume the worst is still to come, even when she's playing nice and acting jovial.

It's an acting masterclass from a formidable talent - a juggling act that demands constant attention to detail - and cemented Bates' place in the history books.