It could have been an excellent horror film but...

Rating: 6/10 (13 May 2009)

Unlike most reviewers here, I am not giving it 10 or 1.
Most of those who give it 1 either don't like the ending, or don't like the overblown religious fanaticism.
I don't like either, but the rest of the film is excellent, and if these two elements had been treated better I would have given this a 9 or 10.
First the religious stuff. I don't believe that whatever happened, 90% of the store inmates would have rallied to Mrs Carmody's rantings. In fact, she would have been silenced by more than the old lady throwing a tin of beans at her. Grossly overdone and unbelievable, even for religion-mad Americans.
And the ending... well, I have no problem with what actually happens (i.e. not a nice cuddly ending), but to think you'd drive for hours at 10mph through the mist and then give up just as you run out of petrol. No, daft. You tried that hard and then give up. Please. And it wasn't as if they were under attack, just the odd monster groaning...
So actually two of the most important elements of the film ruined by just not thinking hard enough about how people would react.