Monsters, Action and Howling Horror

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2009)

Frank Darabont and Stephen King must have a real special working relationship. The best Stephen King adaptations have been done adapted and directed by Frank Darabont (except for the Shining), whilst Frank Darabont greatest success has come from directing King's prison fiction. However with The Mist Darabont has step out of his comfort zone (but to great effect).
In a small town in New England, David (Thomas Jane) is a successful artist living happily with his wife (Kelly Collins Lintz) and young son, Billy (Nathan Gamble). After a powerful thunderstorm their home suffers damage, so David, Billy and their next door neighbour Brent (Andre Braugher) go to the local supermarket to get good for the replaces they need to do. Whilst at the store a strange mist descends on the town, and scare monsters living withing it. This is confirmed when a bagboy is killed, but some people like Brent do not believe in monsters, and think there is a more logical explanation. When the monsters start to attack and people start dying, some people take extreme action, some fight, some run, others commit suicide, whilst others turn to Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), a fundamentalist Christian and local nutcase. As the people in the siege become more desperate they start to listen to Carmody who has a fire and brimstone view of the Bible and see the monsters attack as a punishment from God. David and some other people do not like the way things are turning within the supermarket and have to fight Carmody from corrupting everyone.
The monsters are effectively done, whilst the action is exciting. They is some blood and gore, and with a budget of $18 Million, the CGI is top-notch. But whilst the monsters are well done, the real horror isn't from that threat, it's from the threat of people. It is a commentary of how desperate people will become and look for some sort of order, even if its from extreme sorts. Carmody is an example of Christian and religion at it's worst, a dogmatic belief where you try and enforce it on others. She reminds of Phelps family, a horrible family who see America as a decadent nation which is about to collapse because of homosexuality, and picket outside the funerals of dead soldiers. These are people who claim there are Christians but are anything but, and give all religion a bad name. It's this theme of religion and control which is the real horror of the film, makes you think and stays in your mind. The ending is also very howling and bleak, which is surprising from a Hollywood film. Frank Darabont shows once again what a talented storyteller he is, with a well rounded, three dimensional characters. Carmody is a true example of a antagonist, whilst David and everyone else is a ordinary person in a extreme situation.
There are some problems with the film. Whilst most of the acting is decent, and Carmody is a character you love to hate I think Marcia Gay Harden could and should have been stronger. There are some plot problems, like how quickly it takes people to descend into chaos and disorder (but admittedly that was on of the main themes of the film). The third act was also not as strong as the rest of the film, despite the dark ending.
However a good example of a horror film, and I recommend it: especially if you like Cloverfield and the Japanese Godzilla. There are also similarities to Aliens.