Horrific Conclusion

Rating: 3/10 (30 November 2007)

I am a long-time fan of Stephen King and have read all of his books, so naturally I cannot pass up an opportunity to see one of his amazing works on film. The novella "The Mist" in King's "Skeleton Crew" is one of my favorite of his short stories. The movie was satisfyingly accurate...until the end. While many of King's novel endings are inclusive (and yes, sometimes irritatingly so) nothing could have prepared me for the literal feeling of sickness I left "The Mist" with. The ending was not inconclusive, it was one of the most horribly written conclusions I have ever encountered. I was shocked, to say the least, since Frank Darabont has written/directed some of the ONLY screenplays I trust to even compare to the writings of Stephen King. Both "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption" were awesomely matched to their books, which is why I am so disappointed and horrified by the ending of "The Mist." Minus the ending, the movie was both accurate and entertaining. To be two such amazing writers, I am confused as to how Darabont and/or King thought that this was the best conclusion for the film. There's a possibility that I would have been equally impressed by a 20-minute documentary on flies in an outhouse.