Let Him Go’s Most Gruesome Scene Was Inspired By A Stephen King Classic

You’ll note that Rob Reiner chooses not to show the audience Annie Wilkes’ swing at Paul Sheldon’s right ankle, instead cutting from a close-up to a reaction shot, but do you really need to see it after the first? The answer is a firm no, as watching that left foot go totally floppy is an image that sticks with you as you watch the rest of the movie and forever changes your perception of the antagonist. There is also notably zero gore or blood – though, funny enough, that itself is a change from Stephen King’s novel, which sees Annie wielding a wood axe instead of a sledgehammer.