The Mist is a Pretty Damn Good Movie
Maybe I just went in with very low expectations. Maybe I’m fairly easy to please. Maybe my ignorance of the horror genre is bliss. I’m still not hesitant to highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to fill 2 hours with a well-paced movie. I especially recommend it to people with no faith in humanity, as that seems to be a major theme of the film. You will be amazed by the sheer stupidity of most of the people living in this quiet New England town.
The film deals less with the horror of the monsters than with the savagery, superstition, and the suppressed horror of human beings. The plot revolves around the social dynamics that form in a grocery store holdout amidst (lol puns) the unknown lurking throughout the outside fog. Without giving much away, it doesn’t go too well. I found it believable enough, as — like I always say — who the fuck knows how people would react to such a supernatural situation? Stupidity has always been a staple of the mainstream horror genre anyway.
The monsters themselves are decent enough. For a fairly low-budget film, the special effects more than suffice. I definitely was freaked out of my mind throughout one particular scene. But I hate bugs. UGHHHH. The film was also supposed to be black and white (and there is a new DVD release with it); I could see the monster designs and special effects holding up much better that way.
I’m sure you’ve heard that the ending is brutal. I thought it was brilliant. Completely devastating, but totally believable. As it was happening, my dad and I were talking, and I agreed with Tom Jane — because Tom Jane is awesome. He was great as Mickey Mantle, kicked ass as The Punisher, and just wants his kids back. I wish he took a role in Watchmen. But he might be teamed up with John McTiernan for an upcoming action movie called Run, so at least he’s got that going for him.
It’s just a shame his last name is Jane. Don’t know if he’ll ever reach Michael Biehn “underrated badass” status in my mind, if only due to that fact.
In closing, if you’re not a pansy, you should go rent The Mist as soon as possible. 2007 the best year of the decade for movies, confirmed yet again.
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