The Mist (Movie, 2007)

The Mist (2007)

Introduction:
The Mist is a horror movie based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, and as it's expected of Stephen King, this story really does a good job of being a Stephen King movie. Not only that, but with an awesome cast composed of the best underrated actors in the industry, this movie has everything going for it. But, is it worth watching? Read on to find out, or skip to the very end for my verdict. Also, beware spoilers down below. I'll try to avoid them, but hey, this is an eleven year old movie, so you've been warned.

How it Looks:
At first glance, this doesn't seem like a very good movie. The way it opens up, it really doesn't seem very interesting. But once the story starts going, this movie takes off beautifully. The titular mist rolls in beautifully, creating the most eerie scenario, something along the lines of Silent Hill, but done better. And once what's inside the mist is revealed... Well, let's just say the movie sold it perfectly. As a horror movie, the (SPOILERS) monsters inside the mist look amazing: realistic to an extreme, but extremely alien, as well. The tentacles couldn't look more realistic, the insects and spider monsters gave me the creeps (Even though I love bugs), and the gigantic monster at the end, with his upper body being half-covered by mist, it just did a fantastic job at showing it off without really showing off. Props to the people that made the visual for this movie, they did a phenomenal job that stands the test of time. Eleven years, and this movie still looks better than even some stuff that came out this year!

How it Sounds:
In the manner of sounds, there's two categories: Sound Effects, and actual music. The music in this movie, if there even is any, is not really impressive. No piece stuck out to me, to the point that I don't have any memory of there even being music. That said, the ambiance and the sound effects were top notch, to say the least. Every monster and every bite felt like it had life in it and weight behind it, the bullets that were fired sounded heavy and deadly, and every silent moment really gave off an incredibly creepy vibe, like something could be lurking just around the corner. The sound department really did a fantastic job of letting you know it's there, except when it's not. No Hanz Zimmers iconic music here, but that might just be for the benefit of the movie.

How it Stories:
The story of The Mist is very simple, like most Stephen King novels are. It follows a (Very good) cast as they struggle through the scenario set before them, in this case, being surrounded by monster-infested Mist. The plot is paper thin, the atheistic perspective that all Stephen King novels have is there, and the character motivations feels absent and plot-driven at times, making the story the definite low point of the movie. Characters will go from one end of the spectrum to another without really any indication to what the point of it was, there's a few 'plot lines' that are left either unanswered or simply became irrelevant, and there's a bunch of characters that could have been completely removed without affecting the story in the slightest (Specially in the first half of the movie). Though most of the cast was amazing, it felt wasted on this story, except for three characters whose stories were more fleshed out, but even then, the way they do certain things could've been shifted around to make more sense, such as the killing of a character being uncharacteristic within the context that was given to us. The only real shocker in the story, as well as the moment that really made this movie iconic, was the ending, which I won't spoil. But, the plot ends beautifully, almost melancholy, touching on a possibility that is never explored, and really letting the main character's actor shine through. I get goosebumps just from thinking about it. This final scene is the real reason to see this movie, as it's one of the best final scenes of all time (And that's saying something.)

Verdict and Conclusion:
The Mist is a movie that stands the test of time, but not because of it's plot. Paper-thin characters and equally thin plot line is hidden behind terrifying set pieces that chill you to the bone, and that's exactly what this movie wants you to feel. It's strengths lie within it's antagonists, like the best horror movies out there: Gritty, deadly, and completely alien. This movie's lack of overt jump-scares, it's reliance on the monsters' terror to truly scare the viewer, and it's desire to flesh out only two of their characters works for the movie, but it's badly contrasted by it's plot and the rest of the cast, which I've already mentioned before. In the end, I'll always recommend this movie to anyone who likes a solid, midway horror film that relies more on it's monster than on it's plot, and I'll DEFINITELY recommend it to any up-and-coming writer, for that amazing, unpredictable ending. Seriously, this movie's ending makes even the characters worth enduring. It gets a solid 4 out of 5 stars from me, with a big, old 'NOPE' to the Monsters, specially the Spiders.