The Mist
| release date | November 21 2007 |
| studio | Dimension Films |
| director | Frank Darabont |
| writer | Frank Darabont, Stephen King |
| starring | Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Amin Joseph, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones |
| rating | R |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
1 Comments
great
I am not surprised that this one gets 4,5 skulls. Long time has passed since I saw a new picture made after the old receipt and do it so well. It has monsters, it is claustrophobic, the greatest enemy to these people are themselves, and thats scary as hell. You’ve got religion, you’ve got fear, and ignorance putting people against eachother.
And as most of the good ones, it is set in a store, and thats (almost) it, as if to show that it can freak the bejeezus out of you without fancy effects.
I can count the times I’ve been sitting on the edge of my sofa biting my nails in suspense on one hand. And this is one of these.
It seems that only Darabont can do it.
With Darabont writing and directing, I know that I will never be disappointed. I heard about this film almost a year before it came out. I have been a huge fan of the book for years, so I was craving the movie (especially by Darabont!). The preview had the movie looking exactly as I pictured it when I read it so that was a bit of a plus, but he nailed it. The movie was great and I loved the new ending (I have one problem with it, but no one will care unless you have read the Dark Tower series by King). This is definitely one that must be bought. Cant wait for the black and white version on the two-disk edition!
Best horror film of the year. Hands down. Has some of the most balls I’ve ever seen in a film as far as its approach and almost spot-on loytalty to the source material. The ending still gives me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and I haven’t seen this in months.
Good movie.
Wow, I saw this last night and it was awesome. The ending made me go Holy S**** cause I didn’t expect it. As the tag line says…Fear changes everything and that holds true in this movie. Good movie!
You won’t find a “ballsier” horror film out there right now. Director Frank Darabont stuns with his adaptation of Stephen King’s fantastic short story. My only gripe would be some of the CGI look lame, but it doesn’t hamper the overall experience. Great story, great acting, and an ending that will knock you on your ass. I can’t wait to see Darabont’s black & white version that he calls his “director’s cut”.
See it! trust me this movie is insane. one of the better S K adaptions of an excellent short story i have seen, it was everything i hoped it would be and more, much more. Awesome job Darabont
It was a good moviebut not the best Steven King film to date.
This is a great film. its not hard to say that it might be the all around best horror film in years. Another hit for MR.King!
I highly reccomend this film to anyone looking for monsters, blood guts and gore.
Incredible actors. Really great story with lots of action.
I am usually not a big fan of films made from the writings of Stephen King but, this one was awesome.
A great monster movie ruined by an unnecessarily cruel ending.
Stephen King is just plain amazing. The sheer amount of messed up shit thats in his head is awesome just like this movie. The story and plot was good and the atmosphere of the movie was creepy. It was like The Fog but with messed up cretures instead of ghosts. The ending…Wow that was one of the most messed up endings I have ever seen it was so raw. I felt so bad for him. If that ever happens it real life forget killing myself ill just wait it out lol.
I sadly watched this downloaded from a mate for the simple reason he recommended it to me and it’s not out in the UK for go knows how long. However, do not worry, when it comes out in the cinema I shall be going to see it again. This movie will be amazing in the cinema.
Stephen King films are always amazing and having not read this short story I had no idea what it was even about. It doesn’t let you down though does it. It’s right into the action within about 12 minutes of the film starting and doesn’t stop until the end.
Not being a fan of spiders myself the middle scenes weren’t the best for me, but it scared the hell out of me. The whole idea of not being able to see stuff 2 seconds away from you in the mist was creepy enough.
Well done. The ending however is amazing and shit at the same time so I’m not sure how to feel about it tbh. Still overall amazing
This is just a really well made film. Good acting, great story, interesting characters and an ending that makes the whole film worthy of the word horror.
Everything was great except the giant bugs. Why did Stephen King have to write about something as lame and unoriginal as giant bugs? And why did all the main characters have to be so downright typical and boring? Why did they have to use a cut-off scene right when a direct shot would have been more effective? Why were the effects so subpar?
If those things were fixed, this would have been one amazing movie. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, considering I did enjoy this movie quite a bit. It’s worth a watch, but don’t expect to be amazed.
Great until the terrible ending.
This was amazing, great special effects most of the time, well built tension and story.
Didn’t think the ending was terrible, but it defenitely could’ve been better
Just saw The Mist….
Stephen King once again is a sick fuck and I never want to live in Maine.
Great flick. Bugs were a little over the top though.
you can’t fully appreciate this movie til you watch it in Black and White. Good stuff…
With the success and incredible filmmaking of 1408, Stephen King once again jumps to the big screen, with Darabont in the director’s seat. That’s right, The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption director is back, which made me want to squeel in fandom delight.
But enough about me, back to the film. It’s a basic idea, small town, creepy mist, everyone stuck in a super market. Simple concept eh? But still, I can honestly say, this film is amazing. But for a variety of reasons.
The acting was phenomenal I though, Thomas Jane finally breaking through, Marcia Gay Harden played Mrs. Carmody, if you’ve read the story you know already she is the crazy religous fanatic with a strange bloodlust for her vengeful god, and she is fantastic in this role. The visuals are top notch, in my opinion, especially some of the creature designs. The pacing worked well in this film, mainly because Darabont knows how an audience sits through a film, knowing the exact times to pull at your strings.
It’s not without it’s problems though. Some of the visuals and creatures, made me feel the film was a rip-off Silent Hill (The game…the bird thingy, you know what I’m saying right?)
The ending, some like it, some hate it, It’s cruel and unsual punishment on the emotions, and quite frankly, you’ll sit there saying, “What the fuck?” Good or bad thing? You decide.
In the end, The Mist is a pretty faithful adaptation and one hell of a film, I highly suggest it, especially the two-disc dvd, watch the film in Black and White, to me, that is truely astounding.
Hopefully there is this fucked up end however it will be less good.
Stephen King…You are the Master…Frank Darabont…You are the best
An extremely pleasant surprise! What a great flick. I actually got hot watching it because my heart was pumping wildly during the tense scenes. The close-up cgi is lacking a few times, but the film is so good it doesn’t ecven matter! The practical “spider” puppet on the landrover’s windshield towards the end was my fav. effect…what a creepy freakin creature w/ those human teeth…the swollen cashier’s face (due to a “bug” sting) was great too. I love when movies are not afraid to make the most attractive female into a freak beast w/ make-up!
Very good acting, and mostly good visual effects, great practical effects and the most tension I’ve felt in awhile.
AWESOME ENDING!
Incredible film, well-directed,acted, awesome characters (Mrs. Carmody , I hate YOU, wherever your are).
Great creatures, and the most importante thing:
Astounding FINALE!
One of the best King
I can’t get enough of this film. Horrific, frightful, and a brutal ending!
ending blowss
i dont think this movie was 2 good. the ending was great but the restwasnt.
this movie sucked
this movie is amazing, tense,
amazing setting. the acting is pretty wicked, and while people say the ending is wicked, and it IS, the whole film is just quality really..
I started this not expecting much, and I was blown away. It was frightening, and creepy.
The special effects were impressive, The ending is truly haunting, and hits you like a gunshot to the chest.
If you’re a fan of the horror genre, this is a good movie to see.
Okay, well let me just start off by saying that I watched the film before I read the novella, and surprisingly, I think both put up an equal amount of fight. Usually, when watching an adaptation of a book, you leave feeling that you were robbed, and it’s just not as similar as you, the reader would have liked. Let me tell you, even alot of the lines spoken in the short story are exactly the same as that in the movie. Which I found to be quite enjoyable.
.. Anywho.
Alot of mixed reviews, blahblah the ending sucked, not enough creature action, blah blah.
Okay, this movie was not made to focus souly on this “Mist” that holds terrible, deathly creatures in its bowels whilst waiting to rip our characters to shreds. This movie was meant to show the true tenacity of our characters, and studies how us humans, respond to time of tragedy, and devastation. It’s true, when we are put in a terrible situation, whatever it may be, we look for others we can relate to, others who we want to believe can be the answer, as well as acting out of impulse (Freud would be so proud).
And as for the end of this film, I thought it was true to human nature, and it just proves that sometimes, even when faced with these terrible things, it’s important to keep your composure, and most importantly your patience,
because after all, patience is key…..
:]
So take note!
“While the cast and crew of “The Mist” will herald the Weinstein Brothers at press junkets and the like, the producing duo has made 2007′s most refreshingly original horror films (“Grindhouse,” “Halloween”) sacrificial lambs to fright-unfriendly weekends (there’s a good article on this at Dread Central.com). And while “The Mist” certainly commands a 30-foot screen, maybe its best possible fate lies on DVD, where viewers with surround sound and a widescreen TV can live the horrific, harrowing experience without the distraction of an audience too dumb to decipher their ticket stubs.
“What’s wrong with Stephen King?!” one member asked at the climax of “The Mist,” certain he had made an alternately incisive and hilarious comment. To which I thought, “Had you actually read the novella, clod, you’d know that King ended on an (almost) upbeat note.” With home entertainment fast becoming the industry standard, I guess the expectation of a tactful audience is beyond reason anymore.
Despite the running commentary, I was able to see the treasure most of the room missed out on. As a novella, “The Mist” is–like most of King’s work–pulpy, scary, and compelling. The film, written and directed by Frank Darabont, is a stunning adaptation that manages to capture the slow burn of dread and desperation that permeates the novella. And while there is an uncanny titular similarity to John Carpenter’s “The Fog,” this is an altogether different beast.
The setup is simple: after a brutal storm whips through a small Maine community, movie poster artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane–”Dreamcatcher”) and his son, Bill (Nathan Gamble) head into town for supplies, accompanied by Norton (Andre Braugher), their next-door neighbor. Once they arrive at a small shopping plaza, a shear mist encroaches upon them, trapping a large number of people inside a grocery store. The utter randomness of this scenario is enough to make one’s skin crawl, but it turns out there are prehistoric-looking monsters waiting in the mist. And the inhabitants of the store become increasingly desperate for survival.
(At this juncture, I will apologize in advance for the upcoming comparisons to “Night of the Living Dead,” due to the sheer quantity of mentions.)
What follows has a lot of thematic parallels to George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead,” a B movie whose guerrilla fearlessness and intelligence pushed it into legitimacy and legend. “The Mist” is as much about things-that-go-bump-against-the-plate-glass as the way in which trapped humans respond to such a fantastic situation. Like “Night,” the breakdown of social order and martial law is addressed; the role of the military comes into play; religious fundamentalism is personified by Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), a fire-and-brimstone type who becomes a macabre, sacrifice-minded beacon to the store’s desperate. In an era where most of today’s horror crowd expects “Saw XIV” every time they walk into a theater, Darabont’s script is built on a foundation of logic and authentic human action (even when characters do things we know are unwise, their rationale is convincingly fleshed-out) as opposed to manipulative twists and anticlimaxes. The ending is at once ballsy, depressing, and right. Like “Night,” “The Mist” is less about otherworldly monsters than mankind’s uncanny ability to BE the monster.
That being said, “The Mist” works as well as a traditional horror film, with several genuinely scary sequences involving mutant hybrids of pterodactyls, houseflies, and spiders, with several Cthulhu-esquire unmentionables to complement their Lovecraftian backstory. The CG is well-utilized and the sharp editing keeps it from being overdone. Darabont transforms the creatures–which are essentially ’50s B-movie fodder–into absolutely convincing visions of hell. This film bucks current horror trends by actually scaring the audience instead of just repulsing them.” –Jonny_Numb, imdb.com
Emotionally, The Mist is one the saddest films og 2007, especially the ending. Other than that it is also one of the most frightening and, at some points, disturbing. Mrs. Carmody takes an extremist view towards what she preaches when the aliens arrive to the store and Ollie shooting her in the stomach then through the head is the best part of the whole film. She said there needed to be a blood sacrifice, so why not her. When it comes to the ending, not only is it disturbing, but also shocking. Frank Darabont definitely wanted to make the film sadder than the book. But how the hell did that lady and her two kids survive? Overall, The Mist is definitely a film to see, especially if you like sad endings. Also, read the book if you haven’t.
This was a great movie that I unfortunately didnt get to see in theaters. I watched this movie with little expectations based off of what I had heard others say what was in the mist. I was very surprised but what I had just seen. The movie was very humanity based and the scariest thing ended up being how everybody acted and reacted to the events which makes you wonder that if anything like this were to happen in real life, what would everybody do?
This Is One Of My Favorite Horror Movies Of All Time.I Went To The Theatre Only 2 Expect A good Performance From Thomas Jane & Got A Great Performance From Everybody In This Great Gruesome Film…Even Tho The Ending Hurt My Heart It Was Still The Most Realistic & The Best Ending I Seen In A Horror Movie.This Is A Good Look In The Future For The Dumb Asses That Is Really Tryin 2 Open Doors 2 Other Dimensions & Shit Dont Mess With Anything The MAN UPSTAIRS Didnt Intend For U 2 Mess With
Great movie but they should have killed the religous bitch earlier in the movie. She bothered me more than the bugs. Ending was kind of lame, why didn’t they get out and look for another way out. They gave up. Oh well shit happens.
great film,with a superb ending.
This movie has given me hope for contemporary horror films. It didn’t pull any punches, and it left me reeling afterwards. I hope to see more horror movies in the future from Frank Darabont.
Watch it in black and white if you can. It’s how the director intended it and the feel of the movie is starkly different than when it’s in color. After watching it in black and white, I went and watched a few scenes in color and the black and white was much better.
I love the thought that went into the creatures. Their designs were very cool and I was particularly impressed with the tentacles. You got a very strong sense that they were simply a part of a different ecology, and we were a new form of prey.
There were only a couple of weak parts of the movie as I see it. There was some overexplaining, and one point where it was clear the director wanted to give a character “badass” moment that wasn’t really warranted. It didn’t pull me out of the movie though.
The original story is one of my favorites. It was the first Stephen King story I ever read, and the movie was incredibly faithful. I’ve also heard that Stephen King said that the director gave it the ending that he didn’t have the guts to give it.
I’d say it’s going to be one of the best horror movies of the decade. I’ve seen very little that’s excited me and have instead been mining the archives of old horror movies. After this, though, I’ve gotten excited about seeing what’s in theaters and have gotten back into current horror films. I recommend this to any horror fan.
Wonderfully directed, good cast, interesting ideas, good suspense, gore when necessary, cgi effects werent the best, but ive seen worse, towards the end of the movie, when you see more creatures in the mist, the way they were seen and looked was very visually stunning and ever filmaker who uses cgi should make note of how well the end of this movie looked with some of the cgi creatures. very entertaining, a grimm ending perhaps but at least ballsy to make an ending your not quite used to
Ok, I am a huge fan of Stephen King, but this seriously sucks. You know how movies based on books leave stuff out, and sometimes alter the plot? This does in areas that nobody gives a crap about. The protagonist is drab, like a robot could have acted better than him. The dialogue was ok, but if is mainly dialogue and action later, then what do you expect. Oh, and if you like really, really, really, really, really long boring annoying scenes of sad orchestral music with a loooooooooong driving sequence, than this is the movie for you. Literally, I had to get up and get popcorn and it was still going on. Sigh. If you really like king though, stick with It or better yet Pet Sematary.
I’m a huge Stephen King fan thanks to my mom. I didn’t get to read this book before seeing the movie but I did love the movie although the ending left me with that “Oh Come On!” feeling. I got it for my birthday and I’ve rewatched it over a dozen times since then. I do love it and I love Thomas Jane in it!
I found this movie very obnoxious and bad.
Let me start off by saying that the premise for this movie is great. The idea of being trapped in a space like a grocery store with a bunch of people making you ask yourself ask yourself what you’re more scared of – the monsters out there, or the ones hiding next to you, is a terrific one. The execution of the movie, however, is just horrible.
Let’s stick a sizeable group of the most annoying people we could possibly imagine and throw them all together in the same room, is basically what the writers must have been thinking when they wrote this movie. Never, in a horror movie, have I seen such obnoxious people in a room together. The scripts could not have been more laughable, and before I’m pelted with “it was taken directly from the book”, I know, that’s because the book was near as awful as the movie was. The only reason the book could be considered any better is because it refrained from having a horribly chosen ending that was created for the sole purpose of chastising audiences.
The acting was alright, I will not comment on it. In some cases, it certainly could have been better, but I must say, Marcia Gay Harden as Mrs. Carmody carried the movie with her performance. She really had me convinced that she was as much of a religious fanatic as her character depicted her.
But the level of stupidity displayed by the characters was ridiculous and excessive even for a horror movie. Several times in the movie, characters make stupid decisions and unbelievably dense actions that lead to even people’s imminent demise. For fear of revealing spoilers to those who have not seen the movie, I won’t mention these instances, but anyone who has seen this movie can easily think of the implicated situations if they think hard enough. It was just too much. There is more stupidity than usual allowed in a horror movie, but this movie just pushes the limit and then some. There was so much laughter from the audience that even I was surprised (I was laughing too). Truly, the script and several of the performances more influenced the comedic side of the movie rather than the horror.
All in all, I was disappointed, way disappointed. Stephen King is such a great writer, and Frank Darabont is such a great director. How this movie went wrong, I cannot fathom.
2/10, solely because of Marcia Gay Harden’s performance. Had she not been in this movie, I would have given it a 1 (I don’t think you can give a movie 0 skulls).
Conclusion – Lord of the Flies did it better.
I liked this movie and the ending was super.
Simple, intriguing, downright enthralling, a movie that will keep you glued to your seat right till the end. another king masterpiece.
I loved this movie. A nice slow burn monster thriller that catches fire and becomes thrilling and edge of your seat stuff. The ending blew me away on first viewing, very unexpected and downbeat. Highly recommended
A good film but a pussyfooted Anti-Christian film. It attacks then retreats the faith throughout which I find insulting, not as a Christian but that the film tries to inflame then douse. Just go for it Darabont, better yet attack Islam if you have the sac since it is a larger and more influential religion right now.
Was this a King story or Lovecraft? A weak film I felt that seemed too predictable in the end. The idea of the rip in time and space seemed to me like it came right out of H.P. Lovecraft’s books.
Fantastic King adaptation! Darabont is the master.
This movie SUCKED. First of all I haven’t read the book so I don’t know if it is any better. All I can say is that when I saw a octopus tentacle grab the first kid I knew it was gonna be craptastic. Gimme a break. I had such high hopes. A movie set where you are trapped in a small space, fighting against other people, while, what could be, the rest of the world dies in an unexplainable mist sounded badass. However the best the movies has was octopus tentacles, giant bugs, and dinosaurs!? Are you KIDDING me? Halfway through the damn thing almost the ENTIRE audience was laughing. I shit you not, the theater was laughing at the stupidity of it. This movie was one of the biggest disappointments I’ve seen in theaters in a long while.
the only scene’s i really liked where when there was no horror in the supermarket, it had good emotional impact and was beautifully shot. the mist was done well on CGI. for example, the movie the fog had terrible effects & so did ghost ship. i hated the cgi insects and spiders, they good do that on set.
the more i think about it, the more i dislike it.
If you want to ask me questions on horror movies please do! Im on bloody-disgusting all the time.
I thought that the mist was extremely enjoyable.
The storyline: A freak storm happens and the next day a father and his son go to a grocery store only to be surrounded by a strange mist with mystical creatures dwelling in it. The people inside the store begin to divide into groups and soon fight each other. The main group that the movie focuses on try to escape and survive. 9/10
Acting: The acting was good and realistic. It wasn’t over done or under done. 9/10
Special Effects: The effects in the movie were very nice the deaths were realistic and the creatures looked real. 10/10
Best Scene: The best scene was the ending. 10/10
Ending: This movie ended very nice and it was not predicable at all. 10/10
Overall I give this movie a 9/10 and seriously recommend that you watch it.
I loved this movie unlike most stephen king storys this one was recieved well on screen, the ending scene was one of the best scenes I’ve seen in quite awhile the creatures are realistic and the crazy religious lady did a good job at pissing me off while watching the movie.
One of the best horror movies of the 21st century. The mist is down right scary, terrifying, and suspenseful. The monsters were well done and each one was scary. The mist won’t let you take a break from feeling scared and has one of the best endings I have ever seen because it’s different. The whole experience is amazing and everything about it is just wonderful. Overall Stephen king’s The mist is a film to die for. It is one of the best horror movies of the 21st century.
A very good translation of one of the best short stories of our time. I LOVED the short story this is based on. The only other short story that is on the same level (for me) is King’s other short masterpiece Survivor Type (where a man stranded on an island slowly goes mad and has to cut out pieces of himself for sustenance). A very good movie. It’s great to see that there it is possible for someone to do a good job making a book (short) into a movie. I wish they would have done as well Legend of the Seeker… anyway, it’s a great movie.
I love the message this movie sends. The government’s falty actions leading to a major catastrophe, the way people change when they are put in survival of the fittest type situations, religion’s influence on people – and it can’t be denied – brainwash, beliefs, and then there is the idea of dimensions thrown into the story, the idea that we should not mess with certain things in this world. It was clear that humans would not survive in that world, which was the message that we weren’t meant to be there in the first place.
The scariest thing that was in the movie was the reality. Also, all of the main characters died, and the cruel fate of the man was harsh, but real, because people do give up.
Not a bad monster movie the ending was a little disapointing
this film deserves more attention. it was realistic in the character quality and execution, it was scary, and it held this amazing atmosphere throughout. some people complained about the ending. sorry kids, but that could certainly be reality. sh*t happens, eh?
One Of The Best Stephen King Movies I’ve Ever Seen.
The Enging Is Amazing Some What Expected But When It Finally Unfolds It Was Truly Amazing. I Really Enjoyed This Flick I Hope You Do To.
I am not a big fan of this movie at all…..the ending was worst…..it had the feel of the village or the happening I feel it trys to trap you but then it comes up empty.
A thrilling entry into Stephen Kings catalogue of films. Its so expected it’s unexpected. Some people that were killed i wasn’t expecting to be killed but one thing i was sure of was every character had their own story to tell. The creatures are so wierd looking and you just have to wonder how they were produced. Was it the experiments by the army or man-made?. I love this film to bits and would say out of all Stephen King films would be my second favourite just behind ROSE RED.
The plot was basically giving away in the trailer but anything other than the scary storyline the whole concept was scary. In any film, if their is an evactuation siren something’s not right. The ending was one of the most shocking i’ve ever seen. I thought that the ending was going to be similar to King’s other recent film Desperation but this was totally different.
The acting was something to look forward to as in the trailer you can see that the acting looks so real and that every inch of speech would be perfectly spoken. The only acting i had a problem with was that of the son. He really wasn’t to the standard of what i would expect to be of a film like this.
Overall The Mist is chilling and a great Stephen King entry. My rating is 4/5
some cool fx, but the ending made this movie for me. 8/10
after watching the fog anything would have done but this was pretty awsome aaand they had me even more at that insane ending!!!…now thats an ending!awsome creatures decent amounts of gore felt very stephen king and had me hooked,a very underrated film in my opinion.
Overall a good film, and certainly one of the best Stephen Kind adaptations I have seen. It managed to follow the book quite closely and the acting wasn’t too hammy!
The end though was a bit unrealistic. Why didnt they park up alongside another car and see if it had petrol in and then continue the journey in that car, im sure there would have been plenty of cars about with the keys left in lol! Seems a bit more likely than running out of petrol and then killing everyone!
It’s FRANK DARABONT. It SHOULD be good. And it was. Not terrifying but completely psychological. And the ending was most shocking. Almost ruined by Thomas Jane’s acting though. Still, the monsters were cool, and the characters were believable.
I think the ending and atmospheric direction saved it from being mediocre. 8/10
awsome
I loved this movie, and I have to admit the ending fucked with me big time! I was so pissed off! I can’t remember how it ended in the book. I replayed the end over and over, checking out that fucked up giant monster! Awesome! I adore Stephen King and sometimes his adaptations are absolute shit. I’m glad this one escaped that fate!
good movie, but not a big fan of monsters and creatures…
Good atmosphere, great effects and a shocking ending – nevertheless I prefer King’s short story.
Being a fan of Stephen King, but extremely disapointed by most of the adaptations of his works, I wasn’t expecting too much from this. However, it definately overcame all my expectations. The characters in the mall were engaging, and the exchanges between them genuinely interesting – by about halfway through I knew quite clearly who I wanted to live, die, and kick the most alien ass.
The film was well exectuted. Usually I dislike films where you see hardly anything of the monsters/killers/aliens etc, but this time it worked. Perhaps due to the titular mist, I got the genuine worry that something could crash onto the screen with only a split seconds notice, and the characters (as aforementioned) distract you from the mist, so it’s even more of a surprise.
Overall it was very good, I thought. The acting was good, focus on the interior rather than exterior horrors was nice, and the ending – whilst one of the most depressing I have EVER seen – was one that stuck with me for a long time after.
7/10
Best Horror Movie of 2007! Stephen King and Frank Darabont are still the SHIT.
Amazing Movie, I was a bit unsure of this one when i first read about it, but watched it and loved it. Keeps you waiting until the end and then pow the ending shocks all!
Definitely one of the best horror movies in the last five years. Though the ending may piss some people off, it has major balls.
The Mist is my favorite Stephen King story of all time and I could not have been happier that this film did it justice. The plot kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time and the character interactions were phenomenal. It was a perfect balance of following the book’s plot and throwing in little curve balls to keep those who had read it off balance.
I really only have 2 complaints and they are minor. I felt that the creature effects were serviceable but nothing special. I understand this is probably due to budget constraints but I still found it a bit distracting. **SPOILER ALERT** Also, I didn’t agree with the decision to show the huge monster at the end. I’m not militant about adaptations sticking straight to the book but in the book, one of the coolest parts is when they are in the car and these gigantic legs come out of nowhere and start crashing down around them. You never see the actual monster and it just keeps going. I know that leaving that kind of thing to the imagination in a horror movie may be a bit of a cock tease but I think it would have been more effective that way. **END SPOILER**
The ending is the biggest change and I thought it was phenomenal. I completely didn’t see it coming and I found it far more effective than the book. Everyone I have talked to about the movie always mentions the ending before anything else. It is extremely depressing but tremendously effective.
Overall, you need to see this film if you are a Stephen King fan, a horror/sci fi fan, or just a fan of films in general.
I did not want to see this film when it hit theatres,just another gay bug movie,but when my husband dragged me into it I loved it. Very entertaining. I bought this the day it came out.
‘The Mist’ was adapted from one of Stephen King’s more well-known novellas (I congratulate King for taking inspiration from the great H.P. Lovecraft for parts of the plot), and the film version is a good, thinking man’s film that only gets better as you watch it.
There are many things to like about this movie. Unlike most other horror films, The Mist stresses character development. You will be sure to empathize with at least a handful of the characters in this movie. The special effects are decent, if not the best I’ve seen. I must admit, though, that the modest budget never alludes to itself – you can watch this movie with the belief that it has the budget of a big summer blockbuster. The pacing is pretty good, if a little uneven, but the character development that occurs during the slow parts is completely worth it. The best part of the movie is easily the ending, which will go down as one of the best in horror film history.
In true Stephen King fashion, The Mist has a good amount of social commentary. A certain religious nutjob in the movie will attract most of the audience’s dislike, and as the whole situation deteriorates into complete chaos, you will begin to see what King’s message was in his story (that human actions are just as dangerous, if not more so, as those of terrifying killer monsters).
There are some downsides to the movie, though. Some of the acting is a little sub par, and despite focusing so much on character development, the protagonist is your typical thick-necked, no-nonsense, stubbly male in his late thirties. I have to criticize some of the decisions that the characters make, though. I don’t know if these plot points were in the original story or if the director added them, but they weren’t thought through very well (I won’t go into details…).
Suffice it to say, The Mist is a very enjoyable, smart, and well-produced film that you should definitely see. You’ll love it, especially the epic ending.
Of course on first glance many people might think this is a rip off of John Carpenter’s The Fog, however as much of a cornerstone The Fog is in American horror, The Mist is more poetic, captivating and emotional then Carpenters’ Fog. The top reason why I think this is so is because King just doesn’t write about the long going battle between good and evil, but also because he explores the biblical concept of good and evil, paranoia induced fear and how humans quickly turn from civilized people to savages. With a great leading and supporting cast and a money conserving set, this movie, along with The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption and The Stand, is one of the best Stephen King adaption in a long time. This is something that I was waiting to see.
Marcia Gay Harden, who plays the town’s delusional Catholic believer, is so believable as a Christian tyrant who invokes fear into everybody and who believes that the apocalypse is afoot. With an excellent combination of hand gestures, tone of voice, emotion and feel, she really goes above and beyond with her performance. Thomas Jane, who plays David Drayton the father of Billy Drayton, acts relatively calm throughout this horrible mess. Of course, at points his sedated acting can be too calm when the action and the scene calls for a more panic feel to it (i.e. the garage scene). Though, when the tension rises he puts %110 into his performances. He does a really great job with his character. Besides these characters, there are several great performances by Laurie Holden, Toby Jones (adds comic relief), William Sadler (Green Mile), Frances Sternhagen (Misery) and Nathan Gamble (Babel).
Like many SK novels and novellas, this one had a great religious undertone that works and is proved on more than one occasion. The central biblical themes of the movie is the belief in God and to accept him as our Lord and Savior, as seen on numerous news channels where people beat that concept into young children. The most alarming theme in the film was the idea of sacrifice to prove our devotion that was demonstrated by a very powerful, haunting and disturbing scene in the entire movie. Among these there were other small themes of Catholic ideology and the famous story of betrayal by Judas. All together, they were very good themes that were finally brought up in the most distressing way.
One critic said “This is the bloodiest movie ever produced.” Obviously he is not an avid horror watcher. Granted, there were a few bloody scenes, but the scariest thing would be the monster attack scenes, mainly because we can’t see anything. This movie effectively tacks us back to that ere when horror movies were solely based on imagination and mind over matter, this movie does a great deal to horror. The idea that something is out there in the mist, and we can’t see it, we hardly know what it is, it attacks with surprise and fear and you can’t do anything about it. Unlike typical “Mist / Fog” horror movies, there is no ghost or centralized monster, in this film there are multiple things attacking the store. What’s also scary is the idea that you are trapped in a cramped store and you can’t escape.
For the most part the camera angles were tight, focusing on the character that is talking, there are occasional wide shots and establishing shots as well. For my taste I think that the tight shots add to the tension and emotion to the movie, it gives you a sense of “tunnel vision,” a feeling that your cramped and uncomfortable, a feeling that works very well with the feel of the movie. What I think is amazing is that the wide shots and hand held shots all coincide with the foot market, that everything takes place inside the food mart. Some of the camera angles, for some scenes, were frightening and intimidating. This is a type of cinematography that we rarely see in Stephen King movies.
Overall, I think this is ONE of the BEST Stephen King adaptations yet, coming from the guy who brought us the captivating Green Mile and the inspirational Shawshank Redemption, this isn’t his best work, but still a very horrid and emotionally torn film. Considering other great Stephen King novels have been butchered by directors (examples: Golden Years, Thinner, Tommyknockers and Desperation), this movie does an excellent job capturing the tension, themes, feel and horror of one of the greatest horror writers ever.
very good movie with very cool creatures
The Mist was really bad.
it had itself going for it but the ending ruined the whole film. The ending was absolutely terrible. the movie itself really wasnt anything to get all happy about. i thought the movie was alright but then i watched the ending and i absolutely hated it.
Great movie. Awesome acting and tension. Loved the atmosphere. Only complaint was the camera work, the camera moved around too much for my taste.
Check it out!
Not bad but the ending pissed me off big time!
I’m not sure why so many people give this movie a negative rating based on the ending…yes it was a downer, but sometimes life IS a downer! The tragic ending capped off a damn good movie, with great effects and some amazing performances. It wasn’t perfect…some of the characters in the earlier scenes were pretty annoying (and the crazy religious nut angle was a touch overdone)…but the movie really took off and reaped some great rewards starting about halfway in. I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good creature feature.
The Mist is a movie based on the novella by Stephen King. The Mist is a original horror, with a clever script and wonderful actors and CGI creatures. The Mist will meet all of your expectations if you like a good Stephen King movie. The movie starts out with a climatic wind storm, and dad and son go to the local superstore to get supplies. There, we learn about all the differant characters in the movie, there personalities and weaknesses. The movie really gets going when the mist starts flooding around the superstore, and the survivours start to inspect the outside world, and what is really out there. The Mist has a good sense of realism, the characters never get boring, and you love some of the characters, and hate most of them. I was dissapointed about the pace of the movie. It is very boring to start with, and it is hard to keep looking at the screen, and even if you move into the next room for five minutes, you won’t miss anything special. But the pace does speed up, and the creaturers start attacking. The giant bugs are fully CGI, which is a dissapointment, cause’ I would of loved to see some real work in there. But, it still makes you scratch, and it is actually scary. The acting is superb, and you’ll laugh at some of the things the guys come out with. I see alot of people are complaining about the ending, but actually, it was well thought out, and left you, actually feeling sad for the main character. But the ending doesn’t at all spoil the movie.
Overall, The Mist is a solid horror, that will make any Stephen King fan want more! I highly reccomend to any horror lover, and I think Stephen King fans will enjoy it.
8/10
This was an ok film until the ending what a crappy ending. It kinda reminded me of the Happening thats how bad the ending was.
Weak monster designs and CG, over the top psycho-drama and a really implausible ending gave me a sour taste in my mouth.
Considering that this has been nearly two years since the film’s release, I should be able to speak candidly about it, without fear of “ruining the plot” for somebody.
With that being said, the film blew me away. I haven’t appreciated a combination of monsters and psychological horror as it was presented in this film, in a long, long, time. The movie brings together in a startling package the simple fact that humanity is only one night without lights away from the savagery of our ancient ancestors.
As for the ending…well, sometimes you don’t get the happy ending. The prince doesn’t save the princess in time from the dragon, the hero doesn’t stop the baby carriage from going into the road, and Bruce Willis doesn’t defeat the terrorists. Those are the hardest stories to write but are also often the most poignant.
I just saw this movie today on cable TV and I was captivated by it. I’m genuinely sorry that I didn’t see this on the big screen.
An ending that will scar you, and so many plot elements that makes you genuinely feel for the characters, it is a rare good combination between a creature feature, and downright psychological suspense.
This is well done survival horror and about what people do in extreme situations.
The creatures are pretty cool, I don’t mind the cgi much.
The ending is very good, it fits the tone of the film and just gives it that extra punch.
There’s only one thing I hated and that’s the explanation for where the creatures came from. I don’t think the film needed that, honestly.
I loved this film, I didn’t expect it to be so good. Thomas Jane is great as the lead and the supporting actors pull it off quite nicely. I like how diverse the monsters were(I wish we would have got to see the giant monster at the end in action). The ending is pretty unexpected which I always love. In my opinion, I think this should be in the top 10 Stephen King film adaptations ever made. Highly recommended.
I love monster movies and because of that i really enjoyed this movie. What i am sick of seeing are extreme religious characters which this movie had, but i like what happens to that character.
“Spoiler”
I thought this was a very well done movie. This brought on so many emotions, hated the religous nut, suspence, scary at times, but being a father myself the end of this movie drove me crazy. I can say I was really sad after watching the end. Even though he promised his son I don’t think I could of done it. Good movie. Stephen King is a genius.
Awesome. The monster designs are solid for the most part and the acting is good.
Awesome twist ending.
Why are you still reading this go watch the movie already. Classic horror movie irony.
A great movie, the only thing I didnt like was the ending. Why killer everyone instead of tying to fight. Sure the odds are against them but I would fight and at least give myself a fighting chance.
i loved this movie! usualy i dont like creature flicks cuz usualy theyre cheesy but this one was amazing. and i am one of the few persons who loved the ending in fact its one of my favorite endings in a movie ever
Note-for-not pitch-perfect adapatation of King’s novella with the biggest gut-punch of an ending ever.
Nobody does King’s stuff better than Frank Darabont.
I’m a big Stephen King fan (reference to Roland with the painting was excellent!). I love movies that play off of what people do when trapped in crazy situations. The ending was great, I loved the absence of a nice neat little ending.
the end was great.that is all.
This is by far the best Stephen King adaption yet, and I love The Shining. This movie has the most original storyline of any horror movie I have ever seen, along with fantastic acting, and many gripping scenes. It has more origionality than a thousand SAWs, and I am also a huge fan of the SAW series! I was fused to the screen for the whole movie, and most of all, it has the most schocking and terryfying ending I have ever witnessed, and it still continues to shock me after watching it ten times over! This is what a horror movie should be.
I must admit this movie really is one of its kind,a great masterpiece by director frank darabont a well written script and best screenplay.Movie grabbed its suspense till the end,the creatures and alienatic giant species were just awesome and scary.The story carrys throughout with what things would lie inside the mist was truly a great suspense.
The climax of the movie is were,it all takes the movie to higher level.A must watch out movie for everyone.
I loved this movie! The only problem I could find with it was that it was a bit long but let me tell you, the ending was worth the wait. The ending is such an “Oh, Snap!” moment. And the religious aspect in the film certainly creeped me out as I’m quite frightened of Christians (yes I am a horror fan who is afraid of touchy-feely overreacting Christians) and this film has one crazy Christian character that will annoy you and you just want to see her demise! If you haven’t seen this, please watch it. It’s excellent.
Great movie, ending kinda was a middle finger to everyone but still good. I really wanted the crazy religious chick to die and thankfully SHE GOT SHOT IN THE HEAD AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The Movie Is Way Too Long Plus That Bilble Bashing Woman Was Too Over The Top But Apart From That Is Great
The Ending Was A Surprise….
In 4 words: Very good horror flick!
The creatures were very realistic, and definately scary, as was the people turning on eachother.
Awesome feelings of dread, terror and isolation.
Also, the ending was one of the most depressing things I’ve ever seen. Very moving.
brillinat!!!!!!!!!!
I loved this movie. Finally a Stephen King adaptation that does it right. Great acting, great monsters and a really good twist at the end.
I HATED the ending! But I agree with King’s praise of Darabont for putting a period where he (King) had left a question mark. Every time I watch now, I have to stop right after the giant critter stomps by, but if I could stomach it, I’d watch the ending as well because it really was excellent.
The suspense, the camera work, the hysteria and dread, and outstanding performances from everyone make this one truly unnerving story. My favourite character is the zealot Mrs. Carmody, just because Marcia Gay Harden plays the hell out of that role.
Horror fans will love the film, King fans should definitely own it.
Amazing. I don’t really have anything bad to say about this movie, the religious lady made me absolutely furious, but I think that was the point. I just watched this for the second time and I think it made it even worse (more enjoyable??) knowing what the ending was going to be.
one of the best Stephen king movies, liked every thing but the ending
good movie:P
Having grown up with a father that was obsessed with Stephen King, I read the Mist novella at around 11 years old. The movie is not much different from the novella, except the ending. What Stephen King has always been good at writing is characters, and the power struggle of certain people, and just how much people change when under bad circumstances.
While The Mist is about a creepy, strange mist that rolls in on a New England town that carries crawly creatures from the beyond, most of them larger than your house, The Mist is really about the people that are trapped in the grocery store. Just how far will people go to save themselves from the monsters? And just how far will people go to save themselves from one another? Marcia Gay Harden gives an amazing performance as the Bible thumping Ms. Carmondy. Thomas Jane does well too, but I dont think a character of this type is much of a reach for him.
The monsters in this movie are scary and disgusting (spiders in the pharmacy, all Im going to say) but the hardest to watch scenes in this movie involve the characters turning on one another, and the flimsy mistakes they make when trying to survive.
The ending of this movie got a lot of attention, and it is very different from the novella. I can see why they changed the ending, as I dont think the original ending would have satisfied audiences, but what they chose to replace it with is surprising. But I always love a movie that doesn’t feel the need to end on a good note, so I respect it.
Overall, a great movie that has enough gore to satisfy the horror fiends, and great characters to make your stomach flipflop.
This movie is brilliant. Enough awkward (unintenional?) comedic parts to make it have a B rated feel, but with great acting, and a great story line (for the most part). The monster CGI is done incredibly well for what they are and the ending alone is what makes this movie. People will either love it or hate it, and for myself it’s what made the movie. Brilliant. This movie was a total surprise to me, not being a huge fan of Stephan King adapted films (or his books for that matter)but this movie really got the job done. This really gets the scare factor beyond gore and monsters, and shows real dog eat dog human emotions and actions (and reactions). All around great film.
Top ten movie of the decade for any genre.
Boring.
Wasn’t enjoyable at all let alone scary
good one
I really thought that this movie was amazing.Very well acted and the ending was haunting.
`The Mist’ (also known as Stephen King’s The Mist) is a 2007/2008 Horror Movie based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King (which I do love Movie that are adaption by legend writer Stephen King novels). The plot revolves around members of the small town of Bridgton, Maine, who conceal themselves in a local supermarket when a violent thunderstorm cuts off the power. While they struggle to survive an unnatural mist which envelops the town and conceals vicious, supernatural monsters, extreme tensions rise among the survivors (Although a monster movie, the central theme is what ordinary people will be driven to do under extraordinary circumstances, I know I would).
I liked this Monster movie based on Stephen King Novella, The Mist is what a horror/monster movie should be – dark, tense, and punctuated by just enough gore to keep use the viewer’s happy enough (if you’re the kind of person who like Horror/Monster Movies like this), the movie is kind of like the original 1980 `The Fog’ but instead of Ghost/zombie The Mist has grouses big bugs/monster like creatures & its own storyline/plot (of course, I didn’t mean it was a sequel or Remake if anyone thought that), the film has the Unique take on make the small, big & the biggest motherfuck monster creatures to be scary & freighting as anything as the movie its self is soo dark for monster & human take in the film. the Movie its self is soo gripping, tense as hell & full of terror & also really make you think what you would do in that circumstances of the terrific balances on religion, human nature, politic, fear & panic and its really gruesome, disgusting, absolute terror in every human way that you would have on a monster attack from a never world and with spectral visual special effects this movie doesn’t get any better than this (to be honest).
The acting was fanatics by an ensemble cast, which are Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Samuel Witwer, Toby Jones, Nathan Gamble, Andre Braugher, and Frances Sternhagen, while the director Frank Darabont (which who has also made two adaption of Stephen King’s works into movies like, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, which makes The Mist his third one) did an absolutely perfect job at his directions in this movie capture the just about everything & the writing material was a super storyline/plot to make it in to mainstream movie (with is politically incisive script)and for ending of this movie was an absolute shocking & speeches moment I couldn’t believe it (I had some tars when that part happen) it had such an emotionally depth & with such a heart racing & heart breaking ever that I’ve seen in a monster movie.
(I Think the Movie is a differently branded as a Cult Classic in my eyes as a truly frightening experience).
You dont realy see good monster movies theese days. This one realy grabbed me. The storyline, acting, and derecting were all great. I realy felt satisfied with what I had seen after watching this movie.
All I can say is the ending…good lord the ending.
movie followed the story pretty closely. was fun to watch, but not great by any means. thought that the acting was pretty bad, even M.G. Hardin, whose performance was a little overacted/over blown? the cool thing about the movie is the monsters and special fx! and the ending, which i thought was absolutely perfect! worth watching, but don’t waste your time getting excited about it.
Great movie
An underrated tribute to 1950′s creature features with a modern update to appeal to audiences. Not only is it a fun monster movie, but the ending will have you thanking Cthulhu for never putting you in a situation like that. more information here:
http://thewolfmancometh.com/2010/11/19/the-mist-2007/
ZzZzZzZz..
Maybe im thinking too much into it but i was completely hammered by this one. Stephen King’s best horror adaptation ever. Not only was this one hell of a roller coaster but it also makes you think and take a good look in the mirror and see who the real ‘monsters’ are. Only reason i didnt give it 10 is because some of the special effects just arent that good and even though its the movies biggest strength, its too damn depressing to really enjoy but hey Its called horror for a reason. I cant recomend this one enough
It’s a horror masterpiece! One of the scariest and most amazing horror films ever.
Awesome, a great movie, everything in this movie is perfect, the story, excellent actors doing a great role, besides as the characters evolve as the tension grows, it is excellent, and the final .. Thanks for the final is amazing.
I had fear and doubts about how would be the end, just hoped there would be no cheap shot as the typical happy ending, and when finally I saw surprised me greatly.
This ending made a friend of mine cry. Nice.
Terrible. Ruined the book, especially the ending. Wasn’t even that well made. The only good part was when that woman in the store got cracked in the head with the can. Other than that, I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie in the theatre and was as disappointed as I was when I saw this. Me and my date were both pissed. Sucked. SUCKED. Pure SUCK.
It has some flaws but its really a great watch. I HATED that religous b*tch…
*spoiler ahead*
… and I was SO happy when she got hers
*spoiler over*
P.S. Somebody call the WAAAAAmbulance for the guy below me. He’s clearly butthurt about it not following his precious little novel… get over it buddy.
Hobo Approved(TM)
This is one of my favorites horror flicks and I would watch this again in a heart beat. The monsters were bad ass – especially the freaky spiders. Great character development and tense survival mode interaction. Ending was a cold slap in the face. Not much to dislike here.
were do i start with this film? ok, i love the concept of it i really do and i love the atmosphere that it sets, but seriously, that raving bible basher and her murderous hypocrite ways reeeeeeeally pissed me off!! there was just too much of it for me too handle and it ruined it for me. plus the fact that even though it based on a stephen king novel, he had ZERO input in it and it was very loosely based on it. a pretty good film but not a favourite.
This is a very good movie. I have been saying that the ‘good always prevails’ point was getting very old to watch in horror movies. This movie proves that a movie doesn’t always have to have a happy ending for it to be a good movie. The actors were good and the story was real. It really makes you think, what would I have done if I was in that position. I recommend this movie to anyone who agrees that happy endings are over-rated.
This movie was completely taken scene by scene, almost word for word from the book. There were only two major changes, and honestly, I wished they didn’t make them.
I do have to give them credit for the ending. It was marvelous, and terrible. I also didn’t like what they did with the military kid, but other than these parts, the movie was extremely entertaining. Very freaky, and I loved the psychological element of all the people trapped in the store.
Bravo!!
“The Mist” is a deceptive horror film; based on a Stephen King novella, and directed by Frank Darabont, who has in the past helmed a few of the most famous and widely-known adaptations of King’s work. He is a talented, understanding filmmaker; and I admire both his style and intentions, all of which were good for this very film. He wanted to entertain, but at the same time, he wanted to make an adaptation that forced the audience to think a little, and with a little bit of effort and a lot of outstandingly complex thought, he is able to take a situation that King created through literature and turn it into a successful movie. This is one of those rare horror films that works as both a film of its own genre and one of another. So if you had to ask whether it’s a solid, say, drama; then I would say, yes, it works in that sense.
So it gives you more than you expect; while still giving us the monster movie that the premise and trailers suggest. I can’t say it accumulates to a work of great cinema, but this is the work of a director who is passionate about his material, and wants to explore it in deeper, more interesting ways; or at least ones that are considerably more interesting than those of most filmmakers. In a world where monster movies and horror films themselves are consumed by vile, tasteless exploitation of the genre; Darabont makes movies like “The Mist”, and damn, he makes them pretty skillfully. I liked this film. Perhaps I enjoyed it even more than I actually liked it. Some find it mediocre and heavily flawed to the point of no return; I find it thought-provoking, intelligent, suspenseful, intense, and when it wants to be, startling and sometimes even a bit…scary.
H.P. Lovecraft says that our greatest fear is the fear of everything that is unknown. If we cannot see it, feel it, smell it, understand it, or know that it exists whatsoever; then such a thing will scare us the most. This philosophy has been used in horror cinema since time immemorial; a notable example is “The Blair Witch Project”, a film which speaks of a witch, yet it does not actually show the hag.
The horror of “The Mist” is all in the title; there is indeed a thick mist, but it’s what’s within it that matters. It engulfs a town; nobody can see through it. A group of people are trapped in a grocery store while the mist consumes the surrounding areas; and they learn of what lies within it only through sounds and the chances that they, often unfortunately, take. Since I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell, I guess I’ll mention that the force inside the mist comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms. All-the-same, the villains are all prehistoric-esque monstrosities from some other alternative dimension; they aren’t from around these parts. They could easily break into the store, since the entire front is covered with glass windows; completely vulnerable. The people inside panic, for they don’t know what to make of what surrounds them outside. Hell, they can’t even see what’s out there; for the most part. Since what they fear are the creatures of the mist; what you get to see includes the following: mutant bugs, mutant bat-things, mutant-spiders, and a giant behemoth towards the end which strangely resembles what I call a “Cthulhu Dog”.
Darabont’s focus, however, is not entirely on the monsters outside; but the monsters on the inside as well. There is much tension between the human characters; there’s a religious fanatic amongst them, turning people against one another at every chance she gets, and eventually developing her own little cult of followers. Those who still hold on to their remaining humanity attempt to survive and care for whoever else shares there all-too-human qualities; the main protagonist of the story himself is a loving father, trapped inside the store with his young son. There are a lot of other characters too; some who we care about, and others who we don’t.
I have read King’s original story, and it’s quite brilliant; yet, I will not bring myself to point out parallels and criticize how “faithful” Darabont was to the material. He was faithful enough for it to be a satisfying watch; in a sense, he makes it his own vision. He changes the ending and crafts intense moments as only filmmakers can. I liked that. I also liked how he didn’t simply take the easy way out when it came to creating the creatures that we do see; the visual effects are beautiful, grotesque, and all-together complex. It’s a visual feast, and in some instances, a rather intellectual one too. The drama is believable (for the most part), and Darabont’s attempts at making “The Mist” something more than just a simple monster movie are for the most part successful. The actors do their jobs; some better than others, especially Marcia Gay Harden as the religious fanatic that I have spoken of earlier. The best actor/actress in the film for sure.
I enjoyed “The Mist” because those behind it enjoyed themselves too. Darabont was doing what he does best when he made this film; to many, it might not be as stable or likable as his “The Shawshank Redemption” or “The Green Mile”, but he’s got a thing for crafting human drama, and he knows how to make a real satisfactory and respectable Stephen King adaptation. What’s not to admire about his style? Is “The Mist” his best film? No, it is not. Is it a great one at all? Again, no. But it’s thoroughly enjoyable in a number of ways, from a number of different angles. It can be seen as an entertaining and old-fashioned B-movie, or one could see it as an intense drama of both visual and surprisingly human spectacle. Let’s just say that when things get intense in the store, we believe it, we go along with it, and we await what will happen next. It’s the kind of film that keeps getting better as it goes along. And I appreciated that, amongst all the typical filth that Hollywood tends to release into what should be the sewer, but instead ends up to be the general theater. This is a film with both ambition and wit to spare; and I was all over it.
Extraordinary and harrowing. Each scene is remarkable for the tension and faithfulness to the narrative. Nothing feels tacked on for the sake of yet another scare or special effects sequence. An amazing group of character actors do what is expected – they make this utterly believable. A stunning accomplishment.
This movie is awesome! Everything about it worked brilliantly. The ending is one of the most gut wrenching holy shit moments ever. A+
I read ‘The Mist’ short story by Stephen King many many years ago. Frank Darabont, the director, wanted to make this film before but the technology required was not available so he made the stunning ‘Shawshank Redemption’ instead, also based on a short story by Mr King. This film has gone straight into my top 10 of all time. Yes, I absolutely love this story.
When I started my film club a few years ago, ‘The Mist’ was the first film I showed. My mates loved it. Without giving too much away the plot focuses on a dad and his son who go out to the local store….For reasons unknown, you guessed it, a strange white mist appears everywhere. The performances from all the cast are spot on, great believable characters. The film was shot using three different cameras at times, so the actors did not always know where cameras were during some of the scenes. It feels like a claustrophobic play at times and the tension is terrific.
For a study in crowd behaviour and paranoia this is an incredibly and carefully paced thrill ride. Itâe(TM)s so much fun and keeps you well on edge. Again, try not to read anything beforehand because even on the back of the Blu-ray disk cover it mentions something you really donâe(TM)t want to know, because it might spoil your experience. In the Blu-ray version I have it has the film available to also watch in black and white, which I presume is a homage to those old B movies like ‘Them’ and ‘The Incredible Shrinking Man’ (which, by the way, I am surprised has not been remade yet). You may be aware that Stephen King was disappointed about Stanley Kubricks version of ‘The Shining’ however he approved of ‘The Mist’.
There is a moment in ‘The Mist’ that Frank Darabont created, Stephen King himself said it was something he wished he thought of for his original story. If you see the film and are not sure which is the moment I refer to, just zap me an e-mail and I will explain. I think it stands out so much from the rest when you have good strong performances in a movie like this. Itâe(TM)s a mix of talent that comes together so well. As an actor I wish I had a part in it, I would have been so proud to be in a delightful slice of entertaining scary horror. The script is solid as expected and it is such a change of direction for Frank Darabont. Keep an eye out for the actress Marcia Gay Harden, You may remember her in the Clint Eastwood Film ‘Mystic River’. She is absolutely fantastic in this. Christ, after writing this review I might watch this film again, but in black and white this time. Enjoy and embrace this one!
bleedingcritic
bleedingfilms.com
The first time I saw this movie, I thought it was shit. The second time I saw this movie, I thought that it wasn’t so bad. Now that I’ve seen this movie more than five times, I love it. I found the acting and the storyline awesome. Also, half the cast is in the show The Walking Dead (<3)!
The Mist surprised me, although I wouldn’t call it one the greatest horror films of the decade, it’s certainly one of the greatest creature features, but I could think of at least 20 horror films (I think) that are better than this one that came out between the years 2000 and 2010.
The Mist is sort of like a very well-made B-movie, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. We all know what happens, a bunch of people get trapped in a supermarket as a dangerously thick mist engulfs the town. It would be stupid to leave anyway because you could’nt see where you’re going, but it would be even more stupid to leave after Dale from the Walking Dead (beardless!) runs in screaming that there’s something in the mist which took someone! Everyone’s skeptical, but a few more people are not when they get a rather nasty surprise in the store room! Some people may completely disregard The Mist as being silly, but these people simply do not know how to have fun. Who can’t say they weren’t entertained when the supermarket was stormed with giant mutant fly things?
Besides, The Mist offers so much more than a standard creature feature. It’s a comment on humanity and the state of today’s society. Immediately the supermarket is segragated into different groups of race, religion and hierachy. It’s the wonderful screenplay that’s the real star of the show, giving a fascinating insight into how people could and probably would act in such a situation. It’s almost reminiscent of George A Romero’s Dawn of the Dead or/and Day of the Dead. There’s some wonderful characters who you can either root for or wish for them to get eaten (*cough* *cough* Bible nut *cough*) it’s the relationships between people which mean that there’s rarely a dull moment in The Mist’s two hour running time. Although, I did feel that it was perhaps over-long and some of the dialogue scenes could’ve been reduced or cut out completely.
The directing is quite stylish and sometimes feels very candid, which gives the film a needed realistic edge. The CGI effects could annoy some people as they were a bit iffy at times (not as bad as Primeval!) but they’re certainly not the worst effects I’ve seen, and they didn’t distract from the film itself. Some of the beasties were quite nasty-looking and the huge ones, covered by the mist had a particulary eerie edge. I could’nt imagine (nor want to imagine) what I’d be like in that situation. I’d probably be in a corner shipping myself! There’s quite a lot of beast action and it is wonderfully entertaining and refreshingly unpretentious.
Now, the ending wasn’t as mind-blowingly shocking as most people were making out. I’d say that the endings to say, 5150 Elm’s Way and Eden Lake are in respects more shocking, nevertheless for an American horror film it certainly had balls! I did really like the ending, it was unrelentlessly nasty and painfully ironic and haunting, but I would’ve probably liked it even more if it was less hyped up. It’ll certainly put the less-experienced American viewer out of their comfort zone!
In the end The Mist is a hugely enjoyable creature feature with a hefty/heavy focus on people and characters. It’s probably better than I imagined it to be and is much better than the disappointing Stephen King adaptation of 1408. Whilst it isn’t up there with Carrie, The Shining and Misery, it can still sit in the “very good” category of Stephen King horror adaptations. I really enjoyed it and people who say they didn’t probably secretly enjoyed it too! I would recommend that you see it, but I think that most people have seen it by now! Still, if you haven’t it’s worth seeking out, I found it very cheaply on Amazon, and I could see it as the type of film that would get better with repeated viewings!Comment
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