The Mist

The Mist (2007)aka: Mist Mist Bang Bang Bang BangSo I finally watched The Mist—and y’all, I am not okay. That ending isn’t just a twist—it’s a full-on emotional mugging. I went in expecting monsters and survival horror, and instead I got a slow, creeping descent into despair that ended with my soul being roundhouse-kicked off a cliff. Neat.First off, I loved the fictionalized Drew Struzan of it all. That little nod to my favorite movie poster artist gave the opening a weirdly cozy, nostalgic vibe before everything went straight to hell. It’s almost rude how quickly it turns on you.Let’s talk about the dread. It builds so well. You feel it enveloping you just like that mist outside the store. You’re not ahead of the characters—you’re right there with them, knowing just enough to realize how bad things are about to get. And as soon as Mrs. Carmody starts preaching, you just know: yep, she’s going to be as dangerous as the mist itself. Nothing like a religious zealot mid-apocalypse to really spice things up.The cast is fantastic across the board. You believe these people. You root for some, loathe others, and still find yourself wondering how you’d act in their place. Would you be brave? Would you snap? Would you start talking about blood sacrifices in aisle four? Who’s to say.Now, my one gripe—and it’s not a small one—the CGI has aged about as well as that milk in the cooler would’ve after a week. I wish we’d gotten more practical effects, because the creatures are cool, but their impact is undercut by the digital wonkiness.But I’ve got to say, this film rocks. And that ending... hoo boy. Apparently even Stephen King himself was all-in on it. He called it “terrific,” and honestly? He’s not wrong. It’s a bold, brutal choice that recontextualizes the whole movie and leaves you sitting there in stunned silence, asking yourself what you would’ve done. And then regretting even asking.The Mist isn’t just a monster movie—it’s a bleak little morality play about fear, faith, and just how thin that veneer of civilization really is when things go sideways. And yeah, I’ll be recovering for a while.

If you're the kind of viewer who likes character studies that don't bog you down in character, but seamlessly blends in the action of the story, The Mist is a good one for you. Stephen King's The Mist is well done here, bringing to this terrifying life a well rounded and excellent cast facing the fear of an unknown monster rising out of a MIST that has moved in over this town. Taking the time to give us a cast of characters - people - who's personalities, weaknesses and strengths are put to a test in a group setting, reminds easily of any movies, book, or experience of group dynamics put to the test. This The Mist is well done and one of the best interpretations of a King story out there. It's up there with Rose Red, The Langoliers, and King's own remake of The Shinning. For me it's the characters; an outstanding insight into human emotion, action, and reaction in the face of fear - what King does best.In a stellar cast led by Thomas Jane with the outstanding Marcia Gay Hardin in one of her best, albeit horrible portrayals, others here bring people to life we all know and perhaps are in our own lives. As The Mist moves into town, these folks are trapped in a grocery store - a brilliant location for the setting of a couple days in a horror film - all kinds of personality comes to light and all kinds of ways to face down the demons, both inside and out of each person. As things grow worse our band of merry humans must decide how they'll deal with the death waiting outside and the growing panic within. NO SPOILERS here, the ending is pure King and if you've made it this far in the film, it'll leave you considering your own life and others and what you would do in ways that are thought provoking and fear inducing. But brilliant.I am not the kind of fan of "horror" that likes the blood and gore kind of stuff. I'll watch it, but I much prefer the intelligence of thought provoking. I feel its grip can be far more intense and far deeper than "simply giving us blood and gore." That's not to say I won't watch that kind... and there is some solid gore here, don't worry. It's that I like the observations around thoughtful horror - it's far scarier and more real.This is a great date night movie, rainy afternoon, or even that scare-you-to-death fun of horror. The Mist is pure King at his and it's finest.

King is a whiz at placing ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and showing us what happens.The ending is depressing -- different from the book -- but the whole story makes you think. And it's really quite frightening. I don't get creeped out that easily but this movie was like sitting around a campfire as a kid getting the pants scared off you by a good ghost story.Darabont and King made a solid team. Check out their first collab, a short called The Woman in the Room. It's really moving.