“The Mist”

8/10

Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones

Plot: A mysterious mist unleashes creatures upon a small Maine town, trapping residents in the local supermarket to fend for their lives.

The Good: There’s an involving story along with an Oscar-worthy performance by Marcia Gay Harden.

The Bad: Horrendously bad CGI creatures. It’s hard to decipher whether certain “things” are a bird or an octopus.

The Low-Down: “The Mist” is not a typical horror movie. Sure, there’s plenty of unforgiving blood and violence throughout the film, which never rely on that violence to make up for a shoddy story.

That is because, for the first time in a while, a horror movie actually tried to be intelligent and succeeded.

Frank Darabont’s third adaptation of Stephen King’s work is an awe-inspiring examination of human society through the looking glass of a common man.

The mist that hypnotically engulfs the town is not the main focus of the story. Everybody knows it’s there and what it can do, but the mist plays second fiddle to much more important themes of denial, distrust, hope and sacrifice, which all radiate inside of a small supermarket.

When the mist sets in, these people are unsure what to do. They are aware of the dangerous consequences the mist offers, so they start delegating power to have their problems solved for them.

Some listen to a big-shot lawyer who suggests the mist is a farce, some listen to a courageous artist who takes lead when trouble arises and others listen to a religious fanatic who claims the mist is the only way God will quench his thirst for blood.

Soon enough, the mist becomes a utility player, and the real story begins. Should they stay safe inside the supermarket, awaiting aid, or should they venture out into the mist, hoping to find refuge?

Throughout the film, the graphic horror is the stepping stone for some uncomfortable moral situations.

A religious lynch mob is formed, demanding the blood of an innocent child. The notion of assisted suicide is addressed several times throughout. Murder is another issue that invests the audience emotionally into a gripping story.

“The Mist” is easily the most surprising movie in recent memory. It’s a film that evokes a B-movie feel with its sci-fi creatures and cast of characters, yet it maintains a sense of importance.

The final scene is an anti-Hollywood ending in every sense. It will leave you stunned long after the credits roll.

“The Mist” poses the question: In a situation where your life is at stake, who decides what’s right and wrong?