Under Her Charismatic Sway

Rating: 8/10 (5 December 2007)

The Mist settles over a small town in Maine near an Army base and it becomes immediately apparent that this ain't no ordinary overcast. When creatures start emerging from it doing all kinds of things to mankind, a group take shelter in a supermarket.
The creatures out there are bad enough, but what's really frightening in this adaption of a Stephen King story is the behavior of some in the market. I've often maintained that players take roles in these horror films because it allows them to overact outrageously, but they will never be criticized for it.
Running away with this film is Marcia Gay Harden who when things are normal is dismissed as a crazy church lady. She starts preaching to the trapped people in the market and before long most in there are taking her seriously. The behavior of the people under her charismatic sway is more frightening than some of the special effects creatures out in the mist.
Running close to Harden are Frances Sternhagen the no nonsense spinster school teacher and Thomas Jayne, the young father seeming to have leadership of the sane ones thrust upon him. He leads a group out from the market and then at the very end, not having all the facts at his disposal makes a terrible choice.
Knowledge is power and fear of the unknown will lead humankind to behave abominably.