A masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (13 September 2009)

***The following contains spoilers *** Great horror films are few and far between thanks to the fact many lazy film-makers stick to the tried and tested routine of unstoppable serial killers and rarely address more original ideas. Thankfully, writer/director Frank Darabont is a far more intelligent director who wisely returned to the rich source material of Stephen King for this stunning classic. Shot at breakneck speed on a modest budget, his movie features a terrific ensemble cast, a great script and nail-biting scenes. Luckily the weakest visual effects sequence, involving a tentacle in a supermarket loading bay, doesn't get in the way of the rest of the drama, and once that is out the way, the rest is a sheer roller-coaster ride. Much has been written about the ending, so i won't repeat it here. But just to say for a film-maker to opt for such a brave ending knowing it will affect box office takings takes some guts. Long after all those bleak horror movies with a happy ending have faded from the memory, The Mist will linger as a tribute to its incredible cast and crew. 10/10.