Stephen King’s Greatest Movie Predicted The Future 25 Years Early

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Rob Reiner’s 1990 film, Misery, based on Stephen King’s 1987 novel, captivated viewers with its intense and unsettling story. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her incredible portrayal of the troubled Annie Wilkes. But beyond being a thrilling suspense film, Misery unexpectedly foreshadowed the dangers of obsessive fandom, a phenomenon that wouldn’t be fully recognized until more than twenty years later.

The story began as a classic, though unusual, Stephen King thriller. However, it gained new relevance with the rise of internet slang, specifically the term “stan.” This word, originating from Eminem’s song of the same name, describes an obsessive and sometimes dangerous level of fandom, inspired by the song’s narrative of a fan driven to violence in their devotion to the rapper.

Annie Wilkes is a chilling representation of obsessive fandom. Her unhealthy, one-sided relationship with author Paul Sheldon, where she considers herself his biggest fan, strangely foreshadowed the rise of intense fan communities online, especially with the growth of social media. Because of this, Misery’s memorable villain isn’t just a classic horror figure, but also a disturbing hint of what horror could become in the digital age.

Misery Predicted The Rise Of Internet Stan Culture

What made Misery so disturbing was its premise: a fan so obsessed they imprison their favorite author. While technically possible, it felt incredibly far-fetched at the time, which made it even scarier. However, Annie Wilkes’s intense obsession with Paul Sheldon now feels eerily similar to the most extreme parts of online fandoms today, especially those known for overly intense, one-sided relationships with celebrities and creators.

A key part of what defines “stan” culture, as seen with the character Annie Wilkes, is the belief that she has the final say over Sheldon’s writing. Essentially, anything he creates that doesn’t match her idea of a perfect story is seen as unacceptable. The film highlights this by showing Wilkes actively controlling Sheldon’s narrative, making him change his work to meet her expectations.

Wilkes’ intense focus resembles modern fan culture, particularly how it expands beyond just the work itself to encompass every aspect of the creator’s life and backstory. This detailed, almost exhaustive, interest strikingly parallels the passionate dedication of fans like Swifties and the BTS Army, who deeply connect with the stories and legends surrounding their favorite artists.

Furthermore, any hint of imperfection regarding these idealized celebrities—even if it comes from the celebrities themselves—is seen as a danger to the image they’ve carefully created and must be quickly eliminated.

Interestingly, Wilkes’s intense fascination is shown through her fixation on the character Misery. She essentially forces the author to rewrite the story, bringing back a character from the past, just to maintain the one-sided connection she feels.

Annie Wilkes Was The Original Parasocial Fan

Although some films had touched on themes of celebrity and obsession before, Misery uniquely foreshadowed the rise of parasocial relationships – the one-sided connections fans feel with public figures – that became common with the internet and the growth of online communities. Today, thanks to the internet, it’s incredibly easy to quickly learn even the most personal details about celebrities, much like the intense focus of Annie Wilkes in the film.

A key element of Misery is how it blends the lines between real relationships and the one-sided connections people form with celebrities—a common phenomenon today that the character Annie Wilkes’ intense devotion to her favorite author hints at. This devotion, which often starts with simply admiring someone’s work, can easily turn into unrealistic romantic fantasies, as evidenced by Wilkes’ conviction that she and Sheldon are truly in love.

Annie Wilkes, with her obsessive and controlling nature, can be seen as the original model for today’s intense online fan communities – the ‘stans.’ Like these groups, she’s defined by a powerful, singular focus – in her case, on an author – and, crucially, believes she has a right to control and ‘own’ that artist’s work and creative freedom, regardless of whether she’s a small or large part of their fanbase.

Why Misery Continues To Terrify Audiences Today

The true horror of Misery isn’t about ghosts or even the brutal injury Paul Sheldon suffers. It’s the disturbingly realistic portrayal of Annie Wilkes, the seemingly normal, unassuming woman who holds him captive. Kathy Bates perfectly embodies this unsettling ordinariness, making her character, a sociopath living in rural Colorado, all the more terrifying.

With the growth of dedicated online fan communities, the character of Wilkes—whether real or imagined—feels as tangible as any person, including ourselves or the anonymous individuals we encounter online. Because we’re all prone to forming one-sided relationships with public figures, it’s sadly predictable that someone would go to extreme lengths to try and turn their obsessions into reality.

The true horror of Misery isn’t just its frightening story, but how it shows the dangerous results of becoming overly invested in celebrities. This isn’t a new phenomenon—years before the novel, Ronald Reagan was shot by someone trying to gain the attention of Jodie Foster. And the frightening possibility doesn’t end with the villain’s death; this kind of obsessive adoration simply lies in wait, ready to find a new target.

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2025-11-03 23:49