The Mist (Film Review)

2007 MGM/Dimension Films
Written and Directed by: Frank Darabont (Based on The Mist by Stephen King)
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Sternhagen, Sam Witwer, Alexa Davalos, and Nathan Gamble
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 126 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 8/10

David Drayton lives in a small Maine town with his wife and eight-year-old son. One early morning, a violent thunderstorm does major damage to his home, and he and his child, along with a neighbor, decide to ride to the supermarket to pick up supplies. Just as they leave, David notices a mist over the neighboring lake, but thinks it's just leftover from the storm. Little does he know, that fast-moving mist is about to trap the three of them and a full store of customers in the town supermarket, with no hope of escape...because the mist is full of incomprehensible, blood-thirsty monsters.
Writer/director, Frank Darabont, has had great luck adapting Stephen Kings' material. The Mist is the third of three films he made based on King's work, starting with 1994's The Shawshank Redemption and continuing with 1999's The Green Mile. The Mist is Darabont's first attempt at directing one of King's horror works, but unfortunately, is still the last film Darabont has made to date. I say "unfortunate" because Darabont is an incredibly skillful writer/director, with The Mist continuing his King hot streak.
At first glance, The Mist seems like your basic "looks like the worst monster is actually humanity" film. Sure enough, the humans locked in this grocery store do turn on each other. They develop factions with de facto leaders, including one that's an obvious stand-in for W. Bush-era religious extremists, and by exaggerated extension, the evangelical right of the 00's. Thankfully, though, she is clearly portrayed as fringe (one dissenting character tells her, "Hey, crazy lady, I believe in God, too. I just don't think he's the bloodthirsty asshole you make him out to be."), ensuring she also comes across as a unique character, instead of a caricature.
As the situation rapidly deteriorates, we're also introduced to cooler and more imaginatively designed monsters. One downside to this film being released in 2007 instead of 1987 is an almost total reliance on CGI to create these creatures. This works when the environment is darker, but a more brightly-lit moment, featuring a tentacled monster, feels like a video game cutscene, and temporarily halts the film's suspension of disbelief. The Mist also goes on just a bit too long. A 115-minute cut would feel a bit more urgent, especially if some of the more redundant personal conflicts were excised. But with that said...

The Mist is not only an incredibly bleak and uncompromising film on the nature of human behavior, but one that makes a damning indictment of myopic and rash thinking. The acting, done by a murderer's row of a cast, is excellent, as it always seems to be under Darabont's direction. The wizened director also sought guidance from the crew of what I think is so far the 21st Century's greatest show, The Shield, in order to bring a more documentary feel to the film, and it pays off. You can tell from the natural dialogue and some of the pacing that this is undoubtably a Darabont film, but the camera movement, zooms and framing are unique to his work.
While it's not perfect, movies like The Mist come along rarely--I wish Darabont would return to filmmaking. Until then, his King trilogy will likely still stand as the best interpretation of the Master of Horror's work.