The Mist
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Movie Reviews of The Mist
Movie Review: I really take my hat off to Stephen King. I have truly enjoyed watching 'The Mist'. My buddy, too!
Summary: 5 Stars
I really take my hat off to Stephen King for coming up with the thrilling story about a bunch of townfolks battling with some blood-thirsty monsters coming out of a myserious mist engulfing a supermarket in the movie, 'The Mist'.
To me, he is indisputably a great suspense maestro.
[I had enjoyed watching many of Stephen King's earlier masterpieces, including 'Carrie', 'Pet Semantary', 'The Sleepwalkers', 'The Thing', & 'The Fog'. In fact, 'The Mist' bore some resemblance to 'The Fog'.]
Yesterday evening, my gym buddy asked me about what movie we could go & watch, & I told him that the only one I thought worthwhile would only be 'The Mist', after going through all the newspaper ads.
The movie had both of us glued tightly to the edge of our seats for some two solid hours in the movie theatre at the Jurong Entertainment Centre. My buddy was so excited that he even ignored the call of nature till the very last minute of the movie's ending, when he had to rush to the gent's for a quick leak.
The movie started off with a freak thunderstorm overnight. Our hero, probably an artist (played by Thomas Jane, whom I last saw as FBI agent turned vigilante, Frank Castle, in the action movie, 'The Punisher'), his wife & young kid saw their home, located in the vicinity of a beautiful lake, badly damaged on the next morning.
There was an uprooted tree. Another fallen tree had crashed into a boat quay at the lake. In the far distance across the lake horizon, they saw a seemingly vast, but definitely unusual, mist looming on the lake surface.
Together with their neighbour, whose Mercedes convertible was badly smashed up by an uprooted tree, our hero & his young kid went into town to pick up some emergency supplies. The wife was left behind.
As they drove towards the town, they saw a convoy of military, fire-fighting & police vehicles rushing to go somewhere.
As I listened to their casual conversation in the car, which turned to strange cues like 'nearby military base', 'Project Arrowhead', 'missile defence research', 'crashed flying saucer with frozen alien bodies', then I knew the movie was going to be really fun & exciting, even though I did not understand what it was all about.
At the supermarket, a lot of townfolks was busy gathering their purchases.
Three army soldiers then walked quietly into the supermarket, followed by a military policeman in close pursuit. They huddled at one corner, while I overheard the policeman telling the soldiers that their leave was cancelled & they had to return to base.
In the next scene, an elderly man with a bloody nose & blood on his clothes rushed into the supermarket & yelled that something in the mist had grabbed his pal. He urged the staff to close the main door quickly.
Outside the supermarket, the mysterious mist had thickened further & gradually engulfing the entire building.
The building then started to shake violently in the next few scenes, with most of the ceiling panels & fluorescent lamps flying around.
Next, the now frightened & bewildered townfolks trapped inside the supermarket realised that something was not right. The staff rushed to close the main door.
I must say, the movie director certainly knew his craft very well, as he took his own sweet time to build up visually the suspense all the way from the beginning segment of the movie.
Our hero meanwhile wandered into the generator room at the back of the supermarket. It was dark & he bumped his head. He heard something hitting the roller shutters at the rear loading dock. To him, he definitely sensed that there was something quite sinister out there.
The next few scenes were some of the most pulsating action sequences of the movie. Gory & nauseating, too! That's why the movie was rated NC-16.
Well, to all readers out there, I reckon you just have to go & watch this suspenseful movie to catch the remaining exciting plot, with all kinds of fiery monsters, big ones, small ones & even tiny ones, creating havoc inside the supermarket & nearby pharmacy.
Worst of all, in all the confusion, there was this mad lady, holding a bible, talking about the end of days. Not too long later, her message began to affect some of the badly shaken townfolks, who then started to turn against each other. To me, they, the believers, were deadlier than all those crazy monsters coming out of the mist.
Somewhere towards the middle of the movie, I began to put some pieces of the puzzle together, when the military policeman we saw earlier was found half-dead in some sort of a silky cocoon in the nearby pharmacy. Before he died, with thousands of small spiders crawling out of his physical body, he uttered some thing to the effect that the army had screwed up something that had created the diabolical mess in the town.
Two of the three soldiers we saw earlier had also committed suicide at the back of the supermarket. The remaining solder was finally cornered & killed by the believers, & his body was thrown out of the main door, in an attempt to appease whoever or whatever was out there.
It seemed that the army had unwittingly discovered a 'window' to another dimension, which those alien creatures had used to enter our world.
Frankly, I did not like the ending part, although I was intrigued by the six-legged behemoth still lurking happily in the background. Somewhat shocking & unexpected, to say the least.
Maybe, there's some kind of a message to all of us as human beings. Maybe, there's something else. Well, I reckon it serves as food for thought.
In the end analysis, I must say that the cinematography involving all the seemingly out-of-this-world monsters - sliding, crawling, straddling, flying; some had squid-like tentacles, some even spitted acidic fumes, but all had one thing in common - they loved human blood! - inside & outside the supermarket was the best I have ever seen in recent months.
I have truly enjoyed watching 'The Mist'. My buddy, too. He added that the two solid hours were well spent for the evening.
Movie Review: How horror should be!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a horror snob. Not out of egotism, but out of necessity. I was once a die-hard horror fan, but I eventually lost interest in it because it was the same old thing done ad nauseam. Sure, names, characters, and locations were switched around, but most horror followed the same typical plot path, and I simply gave it up when nothing truly new was presented. True, we did have some excellent films here and there, but for the most part horror followed the same tried and worn direction. And it got old.
Well, after seeing 'The Mist', I have to say, to me, it was the best horror film I've ever seen. Hands down. Without giving anything away, it was the absolute darkest, most oppressive, and most situationally horrifying movie I have personally even seen, and I afterwards I was left feeling hollow and cold, almost as if I was dead inside. Everything crafted in the film fit almost perfectly into the dimensions it was designed, the casting and actors were excellent, and it was a masterpiece of true horror---both from within the human condition, and from beyond with the otherworldly aspects.
I was also pleased how the film created the mood and atmosphere. Aside from a few mandatory things here and there, most of the more exotic Lovecraftian Horrors lurking in the mist were left in shadow or silhouette allowing our imaginations to fill in the gaps. Because as we all know, our own minds will create more horrifying things than what can be shown on screen with rubber, makeup, or CGI.
The cast was also very convincing. Typically I dislike any type of "protect the kid" situations in a movie, but in this one it worked extremely well because it was done realistically. The emotional ranges portrayed were also excellent; from terror, anger, religious zealotry, and anguish, it all seemed real.
Another hallmark worth mentioning was, there was very little score used in the film which made it even creepier---maybe about 15 minutes of music total. The rest was eerie ambient sounds or the talking and breathing of the characters. Even the end credits were mostly devoid of music, and instead, the background noises from within the film were used. This was extremely refreshing, as it not only made it seem more realistic (after all, in real life we don't have personal soundtracks playing in the background), it also emphasized the use of our own senses to convey emotion, sound, or feeling instead of blaring trumpets or French horns telling us how to feel in a certain scene.
Now, onto the inevitable question: How does it stand up with the original story? It holds up very well. While the film stays very close to the source material, it still brings readers of the original work (myself included) something new.
Over all this is how horror should be. This isn't clichéd "goreno", and it's not predicable Hollywood tripe. It's a film that completely succeeds in immersing the viewer in the mood it's trying to set, and the effect lingers long after the film ends.
I only had two complaints. The first one was the near overuse of swearing. I'm not opposed to swearing, after all, vulgarity has become quite well ingrained in our society's speech patterns, but here it almost seemed like the big-boy words were thrown in at random in each scene. But then again, if I was thrust into the same situations as portrayed in the film, I'd probably be dropping non-stop f-bombs as well.
My second gripe may contains spoilers, so if you don't want to read it, please scroll down to where the spoilers end. I will say, if you can, DO NOT watch the trailers if you plan on watching this film!
SPOILERS!!!
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My second gripe was the terrible editing job used on the commercials and the trailers. The scenes in which they showed the military using flamethrowers and other vehicles ruined the ending for me, because when I didn't see those scenes, I rightly suspected it was the very end. Not cool! (Why do commercial directors and editors think it's acceptable to put a film's ending in the previews?) Ugh...
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SPOILERS FINISHED, REVIEW CONTINUES:
So why should you buy this? This film was a powerhouse of emotion, terror, and suspense, and it successfully reinvents the horror genre to how it should be. It also sets the bar for all future horror films to follow. It's not catered to the least common denominator, it's not mindless, and it's not the typical faire thrown on the screen to make a few dollars. Long after the film ends you are left haunted by the actions---or inactions made by the various characters, and you can't help but place yourself into the same situation and wonder what you would do.
This was a genuine work of art that not only takes a bold new direction to film, but it also takes some huge chances, as those who have seen the film will know.
Highly recommended.
Movie Review: The Mist: Scary Start, Nail-Biting Middle, Mist-ifying Ending
Summary: 5 Stars
I watched The Mist alone, and I'm not ashamed to admit that on two occasions, as characters walked through that menacing white mist, I had to fast forward. Yes, I used the slowest FF speed possible, so I could still see that was happening, but the suspense was too much and the sounds were too creepy to watch it at normal pace.
Stephen King's novella upon which this movie was based was brilliant. King excels at taking ordinary people, humanizing their characters by giving them traits and habits we can all relate to, and then putting them into the most extraordinary situations.
That's what The Mist does. You can't help but wonder "what I would I do in that situation?" and, even though I was watching alone, on a few occasions I found myself shouting at the screen "turn off the lights!" "get the bug spray!" "look behind you!"
In Alfred Hitchcock's classic The Birds, the scariest scenes involve the characters trapped in a house that is under the siege of thousands of winged attackers. You don't see much, only the terrified faces of the characters. But the sounds! Wings flapping, high pitched bird calls, feathered bodies thumping against the walls and windows - it's one of the scariest scenes on film.
The Mist is full of scenes like this, and the tension is kept high for most of the movie's running time.
But The Mist is about more than monsters - its a study of how a society under stress falls apart into Lord Of The Flies-like anarchy and primitivism. Here, the movie is less successful. There's a little too much preaching and long stretches of dialog where the the characters discuss and debate what's going on. It's a little heavy handed. We would have understood the conflicts without them being explained to us.
It also happens really fast - I think the movie spans two and a half days, by the end of which most of the survivors are willing to offer up human sacrifices to the monsters in the mist. I get what the director was going for, I just wish a strong editor would stepped in to leave a little more to our imagination.
The acting is pretty good. I see on other reviews here that some people found Marcia Gay Harden a little much, but I thought she was brilliant in a role that called for an over-the-top performance. She is, in general, a very accomplished actress, and I actually think she got a lot across with subtlety in this role. Even when she's standing there quietly, there's always something happening in her scheming, panicked eyes. The role is a caricature, but she brings real intelligence and commitment to it. I honestly believe that had she given this performance in a non-genre film, she would have been an Oscar contender
My major complaint about the movie, though, is the ending. STOP READING NOW if you want to know nothing about how this film ends.
Even with that disclaimer, I won't be too specific. I'll just say I thought the ending was needlessly cruel and emotionally sadistic. Just about the worst thing that you can imagine happens. It was clever, but it felt like a cheat. It seemed a betrayal of what happened before, and it made you feel as if the director (who also wrote the screenplay,and who changed the ending of the King story) really hated his characters, which I didn't understand.
When the movie was over, I immediately hopped over to the "extras" menu, hoping to find an alternate ending that wasn't so mean-spirited. Unfortunately, there wasn't one, and I'm left with a bitter end to what had been a genuinely thrilling film.
I'll still give The Mist four stars for how truly scary it was and for great effects and truly horrific creature designs. Maybe less sensitive souls will appreciate the fact that there is no stereotypically "happy" ending. But boy, did it have to be THIS brutal?
What was up till then an entertainingly thrilling joyride became a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, where the human horror far exceeded that generated by the monsters. I suppose it's a commentary on something, but I'm not sure what. I just know that by seeking to increase the profundity of the ending, and by being so horribly cruel to characters we'd come to know and like, The Mist blew its smoke in the wrong direction.
Movie Review: A terrific telling of the classic Stephen King tale
Summary: 5 Stars
As a huge fan of The Mist story by Stephen King, which I read in his Skeleton Crew Skeleton Crew (Signet) collection years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the film version. It is a great movie that stays faithful to its source material while actually enhancing it with a bold, shocking ending.
For those unfamiliar with the story, The Mist is a dense, mysterious fog that envelops a small New England town following a violent storm. The plot centers around Drayton, a local artist, and his struggle to survive against both the inhabitants of the Mist and the skeptical townspeople who, like himself and his young son, are trapped inside a local supermarket. SPOILER: In the Stephen King tale, Drayton, his son, and a few others manage to escape the store, but the result is inconclusive; the story ends with them hearing the word HOPE on the radio as they drive, towards an unknown future, through the Mist.
Pros: The movie stays very close to the original story. The setting, the plot, the pacing, the characters, the mysterious mist and the creatures within...all is virtually the same, meaning most of the tension and fear you get from the story are retained in the film. The script does the job well enough, the special effects are excellent, and, for the most part, the actors give solid performances.
The ending, though, is really what sets this movie apart. It is the only significant part of the film that is decidedly different from the story, but that is a good thing. There is no resolution in King's original tale...the reader is just left wondering what will happen. I really admire the filmmakers for taking a chance and providing an ending that not only offers a resolution, but also provides the audience with a thought-provoking course of events that actually enhances the story and the overall theme. This is a story about fear, and how people react to that fear...the ending just captures that so well. Too many times, the viewer is left with an underwhelming resolution that feels more like a cop-out than anything else (3:10 to Yuma, for example)..this isn't one of those cases. SPOILER: I've read others complain that the ending just isn't realistic, that Drayton would've waited longer before doing what he did. Why? They drove until they ran out of gas...they hadn't seen anyone along the way, and the mist was still present. What would make him believe that getting out of the vehicle and continuing on foot was a good solution? And when they stopped, there were no other cars nearby from which to siphon gas. And, even if there were, why would he believe he'd survive outside long enough to do that?
Cons: The character of Mrs. Carmody is probably a little overdone, at least compared to the original story. Yes, she's a religious fanatic who becomes just as dangerous as the creatures in the Mist, but the character was a little too over the top. (I think the filmmakers felt the same way...in the commentary with the deleted scenes, the director explains a deleted scene with Mrs. Carmody by saying less was more.) Also, I thought the Norton character could've used a bit more fleshing out. You get the idea that he and Drayton don't care for each other, but the anatagonism in the original story comes though much better than it does in the movie.
All in all, this is a film not to be missed, especially if you're a fan of the story.
Movie Review: One of King's Best Short Stories Finally Made into a Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I read The Mist in Skeleton Crew as a kid and immediately wanted more of the story. For years people have wished King's short story was longer and a maybe even redone as a full length novel. We also wanted to see it on the big screen but alas we had to wait quite some time. With King stories turned into movies you never know if it is going to be great (as with Misery, The Shawshank Redemption (also based on a short story) and others. Or just plain disappointing compared to the novel (such as the butchering of one of King's best novels with movie version It. So maybe in hindsight its not a bad thing we had to wait so long and some B grade director didn't make a cheap movie of this classic short story.
The major feel of the short story was still here, obviously being a short story other scenes (and an ending) had to be added to make a feature length film so you knew that going in. I think the additional scenes pay great respect to the King story. If you watch the extras on the DVD particularly A Conversation With Stephen King and Frank Darabont you'll learn King loved the film, especially the controversial ending (and I'm not spoiling that for those who haven't seen it like so many reviewers seem to enjoy doing). I thought the ending was well done and excellent way to wrap up the film. You'll also learn Frank Darabont thought Stephen's name was Stefan when he came across his first King novel experience - The Shining.
Other special features you get with this DVD package are an audio commentary with Frank Darabont (director). The Making of the Mist documentary titled When Darkness Comes which is quite interesting. Plus a few theatrical trailers.
The movie alone is worth the price of the DVD. Definitely one of Kings best ever stories brought to film. Well done to all those involved.
Basic plot if you've got no idea what the movie or short story were about is after a vicious storm residents of a small town converge on the local supermarket to get supplies and prepare for the next one which is also coming with a thick mist. As they queue at the checkouts a terrified local man runs into the supermarket telling them to shut the doors and that another local was killed by something in the mist. Many doubt there is anything to fear but it soon becomes evident there are things in the mist that make going outside suicide. Inside the supermarket power struggles and paranoia mean that maybe the town folk have more to fear from each other, than what's outside!