After a violent storm, a dense cloud of mist envelops a small Maine town, trapping artist David Drayton and his five-year-old son in a local grocery store with other people. They soon discover that...
I'm not a fan of horror as a whole, the genre is saturated with cheap jumpscares and shallow characters and plots. I know this is probably about the least original observation I could make on the subject but it's true.
However, every now and then a horror comes along and completely blows me away. The Shining did it, Saw did it, even last year's Conjuring sequel was a well executed and enjoyable mainstream horror. And now, The Mist has done it, one of the most refreshing and unique horrors to come out in the 21st century.
By far this film's greatest redeeming quality is the time it takes to develop characters, not just the main characters, but every single person trapped in the store when the titular mist comes rolling in. This detail manages to make a film set almost entirely in a grocery store fascinating, with not a dull moment throughout.
Seeing Darbont branch out in to horror was very interesting, not something I would expect from the director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile (The Mist is yet another Stephen King adaptation). He pulls it off however, his signature slow, character focused narrative worked wonders for this indie horror. He builds suspense brilliantly, and paces the film to perfection, something to be expected from him.
Speaking of suspense, this really is a scary film. The concept is great, an opaque mist shrouds god knows how much of the USA, bringing with it a whole host of deadly monsters. The mist itself makes for a nonstop atmosphere of claustrophobia and dread, enclosing the characters in the store, where many begin to act questionably. The best scenes of the film take place in the mist, where the low visibility and constant threat of monsters shreds the nerves of even the most stubborn viewer.
Alright, I'm nearly done. Just a few negatives now.
Firstly, and it pains me to bring this great little film down, but the CGI is downright awful. I understand the low budget was a setback, but that is really no excuse. Horror/Sci Fi directors like John Carpenter and Ridley Scott have used CGI since the beginning, but not only was it sparse, it was subtle, hidden by clever lighting, smoke and camera angles. Darabont's biggest mistake was showing the creatures in bright, uncut shots, which took me way out of the film, despite the awesome designs.
And finally, I wish that it hadn't been explained where the creatures came from. Half the fun of the film for me was the mystery surrounding the abominations, which made them infinitely more scary. As soon as this was unveiled, a lot of the tension was lost on me.
Overall, (congrats on getting to the end), The Mist is a great horror film. One with a gritty and realistic atmosphere that helps deliver the tension well.
P.S. There's a reason this on my "Feel Bad Movies" list, check it out.
