"The Mist" Movie Review

    I remember my first experience watching “The Mist” in theaters.  I was very excited to see it because of all the talent in front of and behind the scenes.   The film looked like a very well crafted horror movie so how could I not enjoy it?  Well, after the credits started rolling and the theater lights came on, I remained sitting for a second thinking “I really hate this movie.”  It didn’t hit me in the theater that you weren’t supposed to come out of the theater feeling good and perhaps that was my major problem with it after that first showing.

    The film is based on a novella by Stephen King and starts with our main character David painting his latest masterpiece (which just so happens to be the Gunslinger from “The Dark Tower”).  A storm descends upon his town so David takes his son to pick up some supplies at the local grocery store, which happens to be busy due to the storm.  Shortly after arriving at the store, a thick mist engulfs the building allowing for zero visibility.  After a few minutes, a large tentacle from an unknown creature attacks one of the grocery team members and kills him.  Chaos breaks out in the store as everyone tries to figure out what is going on.  As the chaos reaches a fever pitch, the store begins to get attacked by bug creatures.  The survivors of the attacks begin to try to figure how to escape the store while also trying to figure out the reason behind the mist.

    “The Mist” is the best example of why I don’t always like to do movie reviews of some movies right away.  Some movies need time to digest, they need time for you to think about them.  This movie leaves you hating it at the end but it does so for a reason.  It wants you to think about the consequences of the actions taken by the protagonist of the film.  The ending is bleak and haunting and after processing it after a second viewing, I appreciated the meaning behind it far more.

    It’s strange that a film so depressing could grow on you but it does.  The true nature of the mist and the monsters within are left deliberately ambiguous.  There is no rhyme or reason behind the horrors the survivors encounter and that leaves a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

    The film was directed by Frank Darabont and he is no stranger to Stephen King source material having previously directed the likes of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile”.  “The Mist” doesn’t quite reach the levels of his previous films but it still remains thought provoking.  Darabont wisely relies on Thomas Jane as his lead actor and Jane really shines.

    “The Mist” isn’t a film for everyone and it certainly won’t be mistaken for a feel good movie that will cheer you up. Instead, it’s a movie that will leave you sad and a little disturbed but for all the right reasons.

Grade: B-