The Films of Frank Darabont

Buried Alive

The Shawshank Redemption

The Green Mile

The Majestic

The Mist (November 22/07)

The Mist, based on the novella by Stephen King, follows a group of disparate characters - including Thomas Jane's David, Laurie Holden's Amanda, and Marcia Gay Harden's Mrs. Carmody - as they're forced to hole up in a supermarket after a strange (and, ultimately, deadly) mist rolls into town. Director Frank Darabont has infused The Mist with a B-movie sensibility that proves to be entirely appropriate, as there's certainly no denying the inherent familiarity of the situation nor the archetypal nature of most of the film's characters. The glut of recognizable faces within the supporting cast does initially lend the proceedings a disaster-movie sort of vibe, though there does reach a point at which Darabont slowly-but-surely starts to tighten the screws and ratchet up the tension. Some questionable special effects notwithstanding, Darabont has peppered The Mist with a number of genuinely terrifying sequences - with a disastrous trip to a nearby pharmacy easily the highlight of the film. But at a running time of over two hours, there's ultimately little doubt that the movie is at least 20 minutes longer than it needs to be - something that's surely reflected in Darabont's emphasis on the religious cult that quickly forms within the market. While it's easy enough to discern the point that the director is making here, the over-the-top nature of these scenes ensures that a little goes a long way. Still, the movie's underlying apocalyptic feel - cemented by the unbelievably grim (and downright haunting) finale - is more than effective enough to carry it through a few slow spots.

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