Here there be monsters: The Mist review

The Mist is director Frank Darabont's third Stephen King movie and, while it doesn't exactly live up to The Green Mile or The Shawshank Redemption, it does at least prove to be one of the better King flicks of all time. Given the subject matter (monsters come out of the mist and terrorize a group of stranded smalltown folk), this is a pretty impressive achievement.

The film gets off to a rushed start but manages to build enough connection between the viewer and the people on-screen to make you legitimately care about most of those who get 'et. (eaten for you city-types. See attached picture for reference.)

As creepy and sometimes scary as the monsters end up being, the true fright of The Mist comes in the form of a fire and brimstone performance from Marcia Gay Harden. Her portrayal of uuber-Christian Mrs. Carmody is utterly terrifying at times and, with her help, the folks inside the store become even more dangerous than the creatures hiding in the murkiness of the mist.

While not exactly poetry in motion, The Mist manages to provide a decent monster movie story with enough emotional, spiritual and social dilemmas to give your brain a workout as well as your jump reflex. While outsiders may scoff at the explanation for the events which unfold, King faithfuls will understand and appreciate the reasons given for the existence of the mist and it's bloodthirsty inhabitants. Still, for the sake of the general public, I think it should have been rewritten.

I loves me some Stephen King, but even when I throw personal bias aside, I can recognize The Mist as a good flick worth your time and five dolla rental fee. If you're a Kingophile (I think I just made up another word), I'd say it's worthy of a full purchase.