Movie Review: The Mist [2007]

Stephen King's adaptations always look great on the screen. It's hard to say is it because of his outstanding talent of writing or anything else. What I can say is that I fell in love with this works after reading Under the Dome. However, I always considered The Green Mile to be best movie of his books. It's still like that. But The Mist is something very extraordinary that is cooler then any other movie in genre.

Movie follows inhabitants of small Maine town after a violent storm, which destroys pretty much alongside the coast. Later that day, when most of its citizens gather in the biggest mall of town, SOS signal alarms, asking them to stay inside. And then a very heavy mist lays down the whole city followed by deadly silence without any humanity sign. The only survivor they see is an old man, who claims that a mystic giant monster kills everybody in the mist. 

This is start of most interesting, intrigue and terrifying tyranny I've ever seen on the screen. People panic and do crazy things, some leave the mall and die, others stay and still die. 

The Mist has two horror stories, first is happening outside the shop, the other - inside.What I found interesting is how people behave when they are isolated from the rest of town and when they know that there is no justice besides them. Director Frank Darabont shows a formation of new state on the example of these people, they way they start fighting for power and safety. Despite their enemy being outside, hiding in the darkness of the mist, they start looking for foes among them and according to majority decision, they expel a black man from the building, because majority did not enjoy with his company. He dies, of course. When it comes to questioning why these all happens, people remember god and it changes everything. Mrs. Carmody who is an example of every blind-eyed believer, asks everybody to join her in her prayers because only god can help. And most people follow them, doing a lot horrible things in the name of god. Both, King and Darabont clearly show the influence of religion on people's mind, how they stop thinking, or acting after deciding that only something supernatural can save them.

These scenes take majority of screen time and they;re terrifying in every sense, it's even better than any other creepy sounded horror. The better thing is that, human related horror is interrupted by real horror features - by the enemies from outside world that sometimes really refreshes emotions. The Mist even suppresses the viewer at some point, which made my experience a lot enjoyable.

Besides the idea The Mist has rather good cast. Even Thomas Jane is mostly good, except the very last scene that must be acted in better way. But Marcia Gay Harden is stealing the whole movie by playing a religion freak Mrs Carmody. Her portrayal of psychologically unstable woman is best performance I've seen in horror/sci-fi movies. Also Andre Braugher & Toby Jones shall be noted for their amazing performances.

However, all comes down to two persons - Stephen King and Frank Darabont. Stephen who is an author of the book with same name is definitely great writer for presenting the idea of "humanity" in the scariest way ever. But Frank is my hero for doing so many things perfectly and especially the ending of the movie, which he changed while adapting the book. This is a case when someone definitely overcame King.

With the highest 9 points, The Mist is now one of my favorite horror/sci-fi movies of all time and highly recommended to watch, for everyone.