Rarely do you see films of this calibre (May Contain Spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2008)

It very rare that I give a film a 10 out of 10 and it is even rare that I feel compelled to comment upon it. Yesterday I watched this film and have to admit for the two hours I was held captive by the tense and suspense rich story line. The director has done a fantastic job of bringing Stephen Kings story to the screen.
A few weeks ago I watched Cloverfield which left me pleasantly surprised at how good it was, I can honestly say this film has topped it. Usually when a film has monsters they tend to be cheesy puppets of or shoddy CGI, I'm glad to say that the creatures in this film were amazingly designed and displayed. Like Cloverfield the monsters wern't the main focus of the film but the how they came to be was scary nonetheless, mankind destroying themselves by playing with things they have no control over.
Putting the monsters aside for a second like cloverfield, the film really concentrated more on the human emotions. At the beginning we see the common urge to band together against an unknown enemy but then come to realise how that erodes as fear sets in. Its message is without structure and rule men resorts to their primal urge and yearns for anyone or anything that can bring some reason to the madness no matter how tenuous.
The film works simply because of the impacting story it tells of peoples emotions namely love, fear and anger. What would any of us do in a situation like that, are we truly animals when common society laws and rules no longer apply.
The most hated character in the story for me was the religious fanatic who at the beginning everyone ignored but as things became worse how she slowly became the leader of an unthinking mob and claiming that God spoke through her. How she uses God to wreak her personal hatred and flame cruelty to the people she should have been helping. Her ultimate fate I believe in my own opinion was truly deserved.
The soundtrack they used "The Host of Seraphim" made my heart ache when it was coupled with the cinematography, rarely have I seen something so beautiful and haunting.
The main character of the film was simply a father trying to protect his son and then later help everyone in general. Thomas Zane in this role really excelled and you can't help but feel for him at the end of the film when he realises in the midst of hope he destroyed everything he had. I pray that none of us ever has to make the choice he made.
To conclude this film is beyond exceptional the story told made me hope that if ever I was in a situation like that then I would pray that I made the right decisions