Surreal thriller written and directed by Ryan Gosling. In an abandoned town, single mother Billy (Christina Hendricks), who is struggling with the expense of her home and two sons, begins work at a nightclub run by her sinister bank manager Dave (Ben Mendelsohn). She soon discovers that employees are encouraged to engage in sadistic acts for the customers' viewing pleasure and she must develop her own unique performance with help from star performer Cat (Eva Mendes). Meanwhile her teenage son Bones (Iain de Caestecker) develops an infatuation with neighbour Rat (Saoirse Ronan) who lives next door with her mute grandmother (Barbara Steele). Rat introduces Bones to a mythical underwater town at the bottom of a resevoir that the pair yearn to explore after escaping the clutches of neighbourhood tormenter Bully (Matt Smith).

Sick of his 19th Century romantic heroine, Misery Chastain, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) kills her off and writes a more personal, modern novel. When his car crashes in remote mountains he is saved by 'number one fan' Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who adores Misery and has even named her pig after her. As she nurses him back to health at her remote dwelling, he realises she is not just going to let him go...