The real evil is inside

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2018)

The 2007 film The Mist directed by Frank Darabont based on the novel by Stephen King
is a very underrated film that deserves much more attention. The story centers around a group of
people trapped inside of a grocery store when a large unknown mist engulfs the entire town. As
the characters in the grocery store are slowly introduced, they soon discover that the mist
contains weird unknown creatures. The irony in this film is not that there are creatures
surrounding the grocery store and the characters are basically trapped. It is mainly about how a
life threatening disaster and struggle for survival can bring out the best and worst in people.
From watching the film many times throughout my life I have finally figured out the true
meaning behind it. The mist and the creatures that inhabit it are not the point in this film, it is the
characters and their choices that they make throughout the film that impact it the most. Frank
Darabont does an extraordinary job of bringing out the struggle for survival amongst the
characters in the store without over dramatizing it. The real villain in the movie is not the
creatures in the mist but a religious fanatic named Mrs.Carmundy played by Marcia Gay
Harden. As the movie goes on and the inhabitants of the store begin to witness the full extent of
the mist,Carmundy acquires a following claiming that humanity is being punished by god. This
in itself proves that ignorance and fear lead to stupidity which is a direct reference to modern day
issues. Overall the film is very well executed and directed. There is no over the top acting and
never a dull moment. There are a couple of shots in the film where the cgi is a little bit dated, but
does not ruin the film. I would argue the mist is more of a drama than an actual horror film. The
mist and the creatures serve as a mere backdrop to the real evil inside of the grocery store, and
that is what makes the film so great.