Review: The Mist

Alright, so I saw the Fog a while back. It was shit, wasn’t it? Pirates have no serious place in horror. 2 years ago, The Mist was released. Some people thought this was a sequel, and therefore steered clear. I mean, if you thought the FOG was shit, how about a film about MIST?

I gave it a go a year back and saw it again recently. The Mist is not your usual horror fare. Frank Darabont directs this adaptation of a Stephen King story, (Other works between the two include The Shawshank Redemption and Green Mile) In which a man (Thomas Jane) and his son (Nathan Gamble) travel to the store after a huge storm. While there, a man rushes in, warning people “there’s something in the mist” before the mist itself engulfs the store, trapping everyone inside. It’s unusual in its reliance on people, rather than monsters. In fact, it’s a while before any real supernatural threat shows up. And then after that, we wait even longer. Darabont is much more interested in the fear and selfishness that makes us human rather than a load of silly-looking CGI bug thingys flying about.

The cast is, well, backed up by a supporting crowd, although none stand out as well as Andre Braugher, playing David’s attorney next-door neighbour, who remains skeptical of the nature of the mist before venturing into it himself (his fate is left unclear, although I assume he wasn’t skeptical for very long after stepping out of the store). Marcia Gay Harden as Mrs. Carmody does well with such a horrible character, playing the undeniably insane Christian zealot, who views the horror within the mist as Judgment Day. Unfortunately, her bizarre theories initially pay off and she gathers followers, pulling the strings in what has to be one of the most distressing scenes of the year after she has discovered just what (or who) is responsible for the appearance of the creatures.

That’s not all, there’s further distress at the end, when we are treated to not only the most shocking and downbeat endings in recent cinema history, but also one of the best. I warned you.

If you’re going to buy or rent it, make sure you watch it in black-and-white, which is the way Darabont originally intended. The film does have a very nostalgic horror vibe and that’s reflected in the quality of the effects. B&W helps in both these ares, increasing the nostalgia and decreasing the likelihood you’ll get distracted by sub-hollywood CGI monsters.

The Mist is a rare breed. Smart, scary and above all quality. It blends the emotion and drama evoked from purely human relationships perfectly with the subplot of the monsters. Just brace yourself for the ending. It hits you hard.

****
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