Day 9: The Mist
Via: Amazon Prime
Release Date - 2007
Synopsis: After a powerful storm damages their Maine home, David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his young son head into town to gather food and supplies. Soon afterward, a thick fog rolls in and engulfs the town, trapping the Draytons and others in the grocery store. Terror mounts as deadly creatures reveal themselves outside, but that may be nothing compared to the threat within, where a zealot (Marcia Gay Harden) calls for a sacrifice.
SPOILER ALERT - First alert is for the summary. Second alert is for the ending.
This movie went from good to bad to good to bad to amazing.
I don't know if I'd call it a true horror film, drama, thriller or creature feature.
It's a combination of so many factors that left me disappointed in some areas but highly satisfied with the ending which, for the most part, all films I've seen so far have lacked.
Cinematography was excellent, editing use of color, acting was good, a little over the top at times but I think the characters who did that were setup to be dramatic anyway. Special effects were incredibly cheesy. In fact, while I watched the first encounter with whatever mysterious creature lay outside, I seriously had a moment of, ugh, I am turning this off immediately.
So the story pickups pretty quickly after we are introduced to our hero. A storm has come and knocked down trees, power lines etc, in what appears to be a small town. Our hero dad and his son decide to go to the local grocery store to pickup some supplies.
Once they arrive the plot takes a turn to an immediate horror flick. A mist/fog seems to have moved in very quickly and appears to be a danger for those who go into it. Basically the whole town is trapped inside the grocery store with each other. Typical natural disaster behavior ensues as everyone tries to cope with the odd situation. Most lend a helping hand and try to make the most of it. As various people try to leave, we see that the mist holds some violent nature, so the mood changes to a different scenario of survival. Various small groups of similar thinking start to form, including our hero with some out of town lady and an older few. There are also 3 soldiers in the midst of the grocery store. Their storyline is kept mysterious for reasons told later. The other main group is that of some religious nut-wing who thinks the ongoings have been caused by God and that this is the rapture. The creatures that duel within the mist are revealed fairly early in the movie. This is what made me turn the movie off. The CGI in this was incredibly cheesy and it completely turned me off to the dramatic undertone the film had already set. However, I kept going because I had to.
As our story goes along we witness more attacks, from giant bugs this time which leads to more people wanting to leave. All the people in the religious group seem to get more and more extreme as their leader appears to be correct about what is happening. The soldiers are secretive and keep to themselves and our hero and his group are trying to leave. The attacks have taken a toll on some of the people in the store, so our hero and a few others decide they will risk themselves to get medicine and supplies from the pharmacy nearby. One of the soldiers tags along as the others stay behind at the grocery store. More bugs appear, some of the group dies but eventually they make it back with supplies. We learn from those attacks that the army seems to be responsible for the monster/bug activity. Once the group makes it back to the grocery store, it seems more obvious considering the other soldiers left behind have committed suicide.
SPOILER ALERT - ENDING
Most of the movie is spent inside the store seeing the chaos and the separation of people. It's not bad. Good tension and great acting. I was impressed by the atmosphere too but the CGI effects kept me from being reeled in to the overall mood. However, our hero and their group decide they can't stay anymore. The religious few have already sacrificed the remaining soldier and seem to be getting out of control. Our hero and his group decide to run for it to his truck and make the best of it.
As they make their escape two are attacked and don't make it to the truck. There are only five left and they are able to drive away. Quick side note, our hero's truck just happens to be equipped with every light in the world known to man. Like he was somehow been preparing for a day like this all his life...it was stupid. Anyway, they manage to get away, visit his house, only to find his wife dead, so they keep driving. Eventually they run out of gas and have only one way out. They have a gun with four bullets. Our hero decides to do the unthinkable and kill everyone, including his son, and take on the monsters himself after everyone has passed. Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!
Dead.
Heartbreaking.
Our hero gets out of his truck, distraught and hopeless he yells out for the monsters to take him, to challenge him, he wants his end. But as soon as we seem him get out of his truck and walk a few paces, the mist clears. We begin to see shapes of soldiers, then a tank, then more soldiers, all with gas masks. The cavalry has arrived. Our hero realizes he could have waited moments. He killed his own son, his friends, his soul. Last scene is of our hero screaming in emotional agony and defeat.
THAT is why I liked this movie so much. The ending made it worth it. All of the lame CGI went away as soon as that moment was engrained in my head. Bravo.
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