The Mist is pretty formulaic if you drill it down to its core elements. It’s the story of a bunch of diverse characters stuck together in a confined space in order to seek refuge from monsters that want to eat them. What sets it apart from countless mediocre horror movies is the exploration of what happens when people become irrational and start following a fanatic.
David Drayton (played by Thomas Jane) and his son Billy go to the local supermarket after a night of storms in order to gather emergency supplies when thick fog-like mist rolls into town. Soon they discover there’s something in the mist that’s killing people. As a few dozen local folks are stuck inside the supermarket, wondering what’s going on outside and devising ways to escape, two factions are formed: one, led by David, composed of mainly sane people seeking realistic answers, and the other led by local fanatic Mrs. Carmody who convinces people that this is God’s wrath and that everyone is going to die. You do get to see the monsters (such as big tentacles, big bugs and big towering… things), but the real scare comes from what people are capable of doing.
Adapted from Stephen King’s novella, the ending is modified for the movie, actually for the better. The movie is bleak from start to finish, and the revised ending has a Twilight Zone quality to it. Acting is pretty solid, and Marcia Gay Harden plays her role convincingly.
Rating: 70%
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