Remember the movie Jude?

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2008)

Frank Darabont + Stephen King is usually a good combination. Think The Shawshank redemption en The Green Mile. And yes, The Mist is a very well made movie. Unlike most horror stories it focuses on the horror within ourselves, causing paranoia and panic. What happens to the people that are trapped in the store, is understandable and completely human. I liked that part. There's more suspense than gore. The tentacles of the monsters looked fake, though. Those effects would have worked better in black and white I suppose.
No, like everybody who's seen this movie it's the ending that puzzles me. Because no matter how dramatic it is, in the story there's no where a clue to be found that the main characters will do such a thing. Or maybe I missed it? Is there somewhere a conversation like: "Please, don't let those monsters get me? I'd rather be dead...?" And isn't it strange that the group of survivors will head to the unknown, trying to get out of the fog and suddenly give up like that? Up till "the moment of truth" The Mist is a well written scary ride in the name of entertainment. Nothing more. But the non-Hollywood ending suggests that there is more to this story. It pretentiously claims that "this horror movie is more than just a horror movie." But what makes The Mist so different? Was there an important statement to be made, that justifies the ending? Let's face it: it's a good film but really no Oscar material.
The Jude-like conclusion reminds me of the alternative finale in I am Legend. In the original version Will Smith dies. But in this version he survives and leaves New York in search of other survivors. That ending was much more positive than the original one and actually worked much better. Let's hope a similar ending will also be found on the The Mist DVD.
7/10