The Mist
It was only a matter of time before Frank Darabont, whose previous adaptations of Stephen King (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”) were Oscar-nominated, adapted something from King’s horror ovure. While other filmmakers have adapted King horror for the screen, with varying degrees of success (for every “Shining” and “1408” there’s a “Thinner” or “The Dark Half”), the general feeling would be that Darabont might do it better than anyone else…
…which is partially true. “The Mist” does belong in the upper-reaches of King adaptations on the horror side, though it doesn’t quite match the level of a “Shawshank” or “Misery” in the overall scheme of King films. It owes a debt to not just Darabont’s earlier successes with the writer’s work, but also other filmmakers who have found both the dark soul and warm heart of the author’s words- it captures the visceral psychology of “The Shining” and “Misery” while allowing for the tenderness of a “Stand By Me” and “Shawshank.”
The latter is most important, as we have to be invested in Thomas Jane’s David Drayton, a loving father (son Billy (Nathan Gamble) plays a major role in the film) and husband whose house is damaged in a freak storm- his art studio in particular taking a hit- that brings with it a mysterious fog. When he goes into town with Billy to get supplies with a neighbor whom he’s had bad blood with in the past (Andre Braugher), he finds that the fog has spread throughout much of the town. Widespread panic takes hold of the citizens of the town, especially at the store David and Billy are at, where talk of death and creatures within the fog leads to boarding up of the store and paranoia. Some want to brave the fog. Others want to wait for military assistance (weekends off have been rescinded). And a few begin to take a religious fanatic (the sensational Marcia Gay Harden) seriously when she thinks the end of days is fast approaching.
Darabont keeps the film’s focus entirely on the personal conflicts that take place in the store, setting up the mist as an ominous, unsettling villain. The sounds we hear are indicative of something more sinister (although the description for how it was caused is too silly to be effective). Darabont gives us glimpses of the more sinister threats, which are effective special effects in the tradition of B-movie sci-fi horror, which is essentially the genre Darabont and King are paying homage to with the film (albeit with a more intense kick). And they have a strong B-movie lead in Jane (“The Punisher”), who anchors the film was toughness and conviction when things start unraveling.
Much has been made by fellow viewers about the ending. My personal view- without giving anything away- is that it does a disservice, but not because of its bleakness, but because of its implication that hope existed after all outside of the car for the five survivors we follow to the end. True, the ending as it exists is depressing as all get out, and there isn’t much hope to be had, but isn’t the best horror supposed to unsettle an audience? True, happy endings can exist, and do in King’s universe, but throughout King’s career the best stories he’s told give you a sense of lost innocence that resonates beyond the telling of the story. The death of childhood in “Stand By Me.” The loss of lifelong friends in “It.” The unfortunate death of a healer in “The Green Mile” because of laws that cannot govern the unknown. “The Mist” works on this basic elemental level, even if it isn’t an ending that can satisfy everyone, whether you like such an ending or not.
