Director: Frank Darabont
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones
Running Time: 126 minutes
Synopsis: After a severe storm, a mysterious mist creeps into a New England town. Artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his young son Billy are at the local supermarket when residents start to suspect the mist is hiding something deadly. Others at the supermarket include assistant manager Ollie (Toby Jones), three soldiers from a nearby army base, an assortment of locals, and religious fanatic Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden). Murderous creatures emerge from the mist, the trapped shoppers start to turn on each other, and David has to keep Billy safe and chart a potential path to survival.
What Works Well: Writer and director Frank Darabont adapts the Stephen King novella into a high quality horror fest. The menacing introduction efficiently sets the scene and introduces the key characters, and once the carnage starts, societal fragmentation competes with disgusting overgrown critters for most disturbing impact. The pace is unrelenting, unleashing searing commentary on the fragility of civilized behaviour and the warp speed retreat into tribalism. The ending is suitably soul crushing.
What Does Not Work As Well: The creatures look better from a distance than up close, and Thomas Jane's limited range means he is unconvincing as an artist and exposed during the more emotional scenes.
According to the legend, Stephen King watched this and commented that he wished he'd thought of that ending--the novella ends very differently.
ReplyDeleteIt is rare to find this much courage in a cinematic ending. I read the novella decades back and it always stayed with me, and this is a worthwhile adaptation.
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