A shining example of less-is-more horror, The Mist is one of the most chilling and deflating movies I have seen in some time. While touching on the topics of the family unit, survivalism and religious fundamentalism, the constant, suffocating fear of the unknown is almost as thick as the titular mist itself.Following a violent storm, a small town in Maine is mysteriously enshrouded by a thick mist. Artist David Drayton and his young son find themselves trapped in the community’s grocery store when police and others start warning of some form of danger residing inside the mist. As mysterious creatures begin to threaten their fragile safety within the store, a religious fanatic (played by Marcia Gay Harden) slowly begins to convince others that Armageddon is upon them. This generates conflict between those trapped in the store as many doubt the divine nature of their assailants.
The Mist really makes the most of its $18 million budget. Marcia Gay Harden is the only big name actor or actress attached to the film. Sometimes this sort of under-casting can cause the film to suffer in the acting department but this is simply not the case here. Thomas Jane, who was and still is most known for being the lead in the disappointing Punisher remake, gives a very modest performance as a father whose only interest is protecting his son. He doesn’t give in to disaster or parental clichés. His dialogue feels natural and appropriate.
Monster movies and disaster films often times go overboard on the visual effects but The Mist stands apart from the crowd quite well. Instead of using visual effects to put the monsters on display, most of the film is spent catching fleeting glimpses of the horrors that live in the mist. Unfortunately, when we do get a good glimpse of the creatures, the budget does betray the film in that the creatures do look conspicuously fake next to human beings. They are designed well and look sharp moving in and out of the mist but just don’t look real enough alongside flesh-and-blood characters.
While the general idea behind The Mist is nothing new (several people stuck together, facing trying times), it’s all about the execution. In other films, I have complained at the inclusion of religious fanaticism as an antagonistic element. In this case, I was fine with it. I think it is because of the very end-of-the-world nature of the mist and the creatures within it. That made the inclusion Gay Harden’s character acceptable. In other films, religious nut jobs are merely included because it’s easy and convenient. It never seemed like the filmmakers were trying to put down religion, which is another plus. It is merely a highlighted difference of opinion that is actually quite rational considering some of the odd depictions of End Times events in the Bible.
Without spoiling too much, the ending is a real shocker, and not in a good way. Many critics and movie-goers complained quite a bit with how writer-director Frank Darabont chose to end his film. Fans of the Stephen King short story were also up in arms, as Darabont deviated from the story’s ending. But Stephen King actually praised the gritty final moments as a better ending. Whether you agree with that or not, you have to admit that it takes a lot of courage to end a film the way Darabont does.
Love it, like it or hate it, The Mist does enough to stand apart from its horror-thriller-disaster flick peers. While you may not remember too much of it weeks later, you will never forget that ending. In a time when horror films fail to make much of an impression at all, this is an achievement. The Mist uses enough sleight of hand and classic thrills to keep you on the edge of your seat without becoming predictable. Well done.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
