Frank Darabont's The Mist is terrifying, visceral cinematic tale based on the works by Stephen King

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2015)

Stephen King has been held as the master of horror in the world of literacy. Love or hate him, there is no doubt that his works have left an impact on both writers and filmmakers everywhere. This horror novel 'The Mist' is the subject of this terrifying sci- fi/horror endeavor, and is operated by the hands of Frank Darabont who helmed the American classic 'Shawshank Redemption, another film based on King's works. Like Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' (which King was disappointed with) this film sees Darabont taking liberties from King's acclaimed source material and using it for appealing cinematic horror advantages. His solid direction more than works, it excels the film into a thought-provoking, frightening experience that will hold no bars on haunting viewers long after the end credits roll. Even those with a strong muscle against the spookiest cinematic pictures will find themselves curling into a fetal position. The story has not a married man descending into mental insanity and wielding an axe, it is something shockingly more terrifying. This film is set in Maine and follows David Drayton (played by Thomas Jane), a husband and father who takes his eight- year old son Billy (played by Nathan Gamble) and his neighbor Brent (played by Andre Braugher) on a trip to a local convenience store for supplies after a violent thunderstorm causes damage to their house. Soon, the trio along with the rest of the shoppers are alarmed by sirens that go off and the sight of a bloodied man running into the store shouting "something in the mist!". Within minutes, the entire town is swallowed by an enormous fog, trapping everyone inside. It is not long before the shoppers learn the sinister secrets of this mysterious phenomenon when a horde of otherworldly creatures break inside and begin preying on them.
This is not quite as much of a monster flick as it is of a survival film. After all, the main focus surrounds a large group of confused individuals trapped together coping with confusion what on to do under terrifying situations. Nonetheless, Frank Darabont holds no restraints in showcasing the characters' terrifying fight for survival which ends in a series of bloodbaths as the grotesque- looking beasts preying on human flesh. So you do not want to grow emotionally attracted to any characters, because some of them may not last long. And if you bear a weak stomach to gory imagery, take caution because there will be some things you will likely wish to unsee. Furthermore, Darabont proves to be more than capable to maintaining an ominous atmosphere that leave audiences alternating between curling up in their seat and loading their heads and thoughts of what the characters are feeling and what they would do if they were in a similar situation. The visceral tension uproots not just from the blood-thirsty creatures terrorizing the store, but also between poor shoppers themselves. If that isn't enough, there is another antagonist beside the monsters on board, and that Marcia Gay Harden's character Mrs. Carmody, a religious extremist who perceives the unsettling event as the "End of Days". Harden packs a punch with her performance, electrifying her role with pure fortitude and heart-thumping humility. If the film deserves any Oscar nomination of any kind, it would most certainly for her in the supporting role. The scariest aspect of her character is that she is mentally unstable and is so buried into her spirituality she is willing to put others in grave danger to preserve her faith. Above all, the tension is powerful, the danger is harrowing, and the atmosphere is purely gut-wrenching as the story builds to a finale that leave many viewers shocked to the core.
The Mist is a purely terrifying horror experience that rests in the front ranks of one of the scariest horror pictures Hollywood has delivered in recent memory. In an alternate of words, it marks not only an astounding effort by director Frank Darabont who embraces Stephen King's absorbing source material, but an inspiring cinematic endeavor that truly knows what scary is. If there is any caution to taken before sitting through this film, it is preparing yourself emotionally for the ending that can only be described in one word: Haunting.