The Mist (Review)
United States/2007
Format Viewed For Review: Amazon Instant
Netflix Streaming: No
Amazon Prime: Yes
"...an intense and
ominous film."
After
a vicious storm, a group of citizens find themselves trapped in a
supermarket when mist engulfs the city and a man claims a creature lurks
within...
The Mist follows a group of citizens – primarily,
David Drayton (Thomas Jane), who was at the market with his son when hell broke loose. Speaking of hell, the film also follows Mrs. Carmody
(Marcia Gay Harden), a religious fanatic, and Brent Norton (Andre
Braugher), David's neighbor. So, you essentially have three different
groups: David leads the people who want to fight the mysterious
creatures and survive; Brent leads the people who don't believe in the
creatures; and, eventually, Carmody leads people into believing her
preaching about the apocalypse. The narrative does well in blending the
human conflict and creature-feature excitement. You see the politics
that occur when they're forced to make a choice and the action when
they're forced to fight. The film leads to a haunting ending – the less
you know, the better.
The Mist is a superb science-fiction/horror
film. The story is gripping from beginning to end. The
masterfully-crafted ominous atmosphere keeps you at the edge of your
seat. The character development, really more of a character-study,
places you into these shattering psyches. The creature attacks are tense
and exciting, filled with gore and suspense. The characters, which
really fuel the creative concept at the end of the day, create more
suspense through their conflicts – scenes that make you grit your teeth
or clench your fists. If you've never felt like strangling a character,
you will now – and for good reason. That's a big point, too. No matter
how much you may hate a character, you'll ultimately understand. The
film is simply splendid. There was a moment or two that felt utterly
contrived, but these moments didn't hinder or sully the entire
experience – it's forgivable.
The acting was also great. Thomas
Jane is a great leading man, filling his
everyday-character-turned-almost-hero well. Marcia Gay Harden, however,
steals the show. She plays her deplorable character excellently. She
truly becomes her character and delivers her performance with conviction
and confidence. The cinematography is great and the soundtrack is
superb. There are some computer-generated special effects that stick out
like a sore thumb; then, there are those visuals that look stunning.
It's a hit-and-miss kind of thing. The film is written for the screen
and directed by Frank Darabont based off a novella by Stephen King. The
writing is great and the direction is superb. Much like his cast,
Darabont directs with confidence, meticulously crafting every scene to
produce an extremely effective film.
Overall, The Mist is a
superb film. It's fantastic science-fiction/horror film, from it's
concept to its execution. The film hits all of the right notes, focusing
on the character conflicts to essentially amplify the creature
effectiveness. It balances both elements well to deliver an intense and
ominous film. Sure, there's a flaw or two riddled in here, but it
doesn't stop the film from entertaining. If you love creature-features
or Stephen King, this one's for you.
Score: 9/10
Parental Guide: Strong violence and gore.
No comments:
Post a Comment