There's something in the mist and it ain't gorillas!

Rating: 8/10 (31 August 2008)

Whenever writer/director Frank Darabont takes on the repertoire of success-author Stephen King, you can rest assured a good movie will come out of it. Just look at the rating and prestige (especially around this website) of the previous collaborations "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile". But hey, wait a minute, those movies were actual dramas that dealt with human emotions and serious issues like imprisonment, whereas "The Mist" is obviously a more straightforward horror flick dealing with miscellaneous types of monsters! Well yeah, this is an entirely different film than the other two, but there still are many similarities as well. Basically you could claim "The Mist" is a prison movie just as well, only the setting concerns a supermarket instead of an actual penitentiary, and the menacing eerie monsters on the outside quickly become submissive to the claustrophobia and fear of your fellow man that grows inside the walls of the supermarket. So yes, Frank Darabont delivers a much more brutal and horrific film here, but it nevertheless remains a highly sophisticated and intellectual movie that easily qualifies as one of the most intense and successful genre-accomplishments of the past ten years.
The story opens with the inhabitants of a small town licking their wounds after a severe and destructive storm. Multiple people, among them artist David Drayton with his 5-year-old son and neighbor, intend to quickly go to the local supermarket for extra supplies but they never thought it would become their final trip. Whilst shopping and talking about the storm with fellow townspeople, an ominous and nearly impenetrable mist embraces the supermarket and isolates the building from the rest of the world. Everyone is trapped inside when it turns out the mist is infested with surreal and hideous monsters, like gigantic tentacles, flying reptiles, over-sized bugs with lethal stings and virulent arachnids. Meanwhile, the tension inside grows equally unbearable as David and a handful of others get in conflict with a bunch of religious freaks led by the uncanny Mrs. Carmody. This is possibly the most powerful aspect about "The Mist": the increasing suspense within the supermarket and between human beings mutually is at least equally  if not more  disturbing and petrifying as the sequences where a couple of brave souls risk to set foot outside the store and into the unknown. The absolute "coup-de-grâce" of Darabont's script comes at the very end, with a climax that is possible the most offbeat, unpleasant, depressing and anti-Hollywood I've ever seen in a reasonably big-budgeted and prominently produced film. Come to think of it, "The Mist" rudimentary features everything you could possibly expect from a good horror movie. The opening sequences are straightforward and don't waste any time building up towards the essence of the story, the middle section is genuinely frightening and keeps you guessing what's going on and who the next victim will become, and then finally the ending is an extremely unhappy one that leaves you with a sour taste in your stomach. That doesn't necessarily mean "The Mist" is entirely without flaws, of course. There are a couple of sad shortcomings, including the explanation of the bizarre events and the tacky use of CGI-effects. The story eventually reverts to the oldest cliché in the book to clarify the mist's origin (gee, do you think military experiments are involved?) and the film also proves that giant movie-monsters are most menacing when they remain unseen. The gigantic insects and particularly the pink tentacle nearly downgrade the film towards the level of a campy  but nonetheless amusing  80's B-movie.
"The Mist" definitely also benefices from a talented cast of versatile and devoted actors and actresses. Many of them are friends and regular choices of director Frank Darabont (Jeffrey DeMunn, William Sadler, Laurie Holden) but they all perform splendid jobs. Thomas Jane is excellent as well in the leading role, but undoubtedly the most praise goes out to supportive cast members Marcy Gay Harden and Toby Jones. Harden plays the aforementioned "leader" of the continuously expanding group of people who believe the events are a punishment from God. She's truly creepy in her role and you, the viewer, will definitely feel the urge to walk into the screen and eliminate her yourself. Toby Jones is particularly terrific since his character Ollie gradually develops from a measly shop assistant into an unlikely and brave anti-hero. His odd looks and small posture are clashing with his constant calm and sense of rationalism. Jones' performance is a truly impressive one. "The Mist" is a great film and a worthy contender for the honoree title of best Stephen King horror adaptation.