Modern-day monster fest is a minor classic

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 2016)

I had a MIST Christmas in 2008. I read the Stephen King novella in the run-up to the holiday, got the DVD as a present, and watched it on Boxing Day. The story is superb and I was hoping the film would hold up; I'm pleased to say that it does. The box states that this is one of the best horror films ever made and, while I wouldn't go that far, it's certainly one of the best I've seen in the last decade and hands down beats the kind of moronic torture porn currently being churned out in cinemas.
Essentially this is a '50s B-movie with a modern day setting. The story will be familiar to any horror fan: a group of characters are holed up in a single locale and must face attacks by deadly creatures from outside. It's been popular since NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and I'm sure it will be popular for decades to come. This is a splendid version of the story, blessed by some fantastic CGI creature effects – you'll truly believe that these monstrosities are living, breathing creations. The mix of character and action is spot on and the story is slightly slower paced than most modern blockbusters, letting us get to know, understand and care about the characters before exposing them to horrific situations.
The casting is excellent. Thomas Jane's every man hero is his best on screen acting to date, while Marcia Gay Harden is the most frightening thing in the film – and she's not even a monster! I've never liked Laurie Holden much but she does a good job here, while character actors like William Sadler and Toby Jones put in terrific turns. The end of the original story by Stephen King wouldn't have translated too well to screen, so they changed it here, opting for an absolute gut-punch that I won't spoil, suffice to say it must be one of the darkest moments in a film I've ever witnessed. Kudos to Frank Darabont for taking a relatively unknown King story and running away with it, creating a modern-day classic in the process.