'Mist' lacks clear ending
Published Dec. 7, 2007
"The Mist" had the potential to be a frightening look at society's fear of each other. Instead, a cast of over-the-top characters and a heavy focus on lackluster CGI transformed "The Mist" from a thriller to a creature feature.
Based on a Stephen King novella, "The Mist" tells the story of a small Maine town that gets flooded by a supernatural mist. A father (Thomas Jane) and his son (Nathan Gamble) soon find themselves stuck in the local supermarket with other citizens as the mist envelops them, and they start to hear the screams of the people outside.
The conflict is now brought out among the trapped, including some skeptics (Andre Braugher) and a zealous prophet proclaiming the End of Days (Marcia Gay Harden). Jane's character finds himself in the middle of the two, acting as the well meaning voice of reason.
The themes of people being afraid of the unknown and each other are commendable and unique. Writer/director Frank Darabont even altered elements of the novella to try and add an even crueler look at how easily the balance of reason can be tipped. Think "Lord of the Flies" inside of Gerbes. The problem arises when Darabont sacrifices further development into these themes in favor of more footage of monsters feasting on town folk.
Another fault of "The Mist" is just how crazy the supermarket "mob" becomes. Harden's Mrs. Carmody is so ludicrous that even under extreme measures of duress, anyone would listen to her. The insanity of the character is so overboard that one would presume that Harden watched "Jesus Camp" for influence. Her continued annoyance makes her predictable demise generate more laughs than jolts. The focus on religion driving the antagonists and the fact that the monsters are a direct result of military and scientific testing leads the audience perplexed as to what is the real enemy. Is it God? Is it religion? Is it society? The ending offered by Darabont leaves too much ambiguity to supply any kind of meaningful real-life comparison.
Darabont may have tarnished his reputation of turning good fiction into even better film with the release of "The Mist." The man who made such powerful films as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile" trades down for a hollow movie that would have worked better in July.
While "The Mist" might make you rethink how you really feel about your neighbors, it is not going to keep you up at night. The Sci-Fi Channel-worthy special effects and crazed characters in "The Mist" who are too outrageous for realism lead to a foggy plot and an overall flawed movie. Heed the character's pleas and stay away from "The Mist."
