A genuinely frightening, well made horror film

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2008)

You've only got to look at the poster to see this isn't quite your average fare when it comes to horror movies. Granted, it has a credibility boost what with a story by Stephen King and the direction and screen writing of Frank Darabont (both of whom as most know are responsible for The Shawshank Redemption) but it's the notion of simplicity which makes The Mist so entertaining.
There's no elaborate death-trap setups that eventually became irritating in Saw, no creepy, pale Japanese children running around behind frosted glass, just good old fashioned shocks. The principle is simple enough. A small town in anywhere America becomes engulfed by a unsettling mist. A very broad mix of people; the hero American dad, the ever so overbearing Bible basher (Marica Gay Harden is fantastic here) and a group of rednecks truckers all lock themselves within a glass fronted superstore ... and they wait ... and wait.
Of course there's reason enough to go outside (someone wants a shotgun from their car, some irresponsible mother's left her children playing with guns at home etc. etc) and gradually the bodies to pile up. What sets this apart, however is it's played as a very real scenario - the actions the characters take, in particular Thomas Jane, who seems to get better with each passing role don't seem played for dramatic effect and seem much more the result of sheer terror, and it's this that gives the eventual arrival of the CGI monsters much more potency.
If you're of the Saw / Hostel / Scream mentality, there won't be much here for you to get excited about I'm afraid. If, however you like your horror movies taut, frightening and original, give The Mist a go!