#nathan gamble

The Mist

Title: Dolphin Tale

Rating: PG

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Ray McKinnon, Frances Sternhagen, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Nicholas Turner Martin, Carlos Jorge Guerrero, Austin Stowell, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin, Juliana Harkavy

Release year: 2011

Genres: drama, family, history

It's a stormy day in the town of Bridgton, Maine. As a consequence, a tree falls over the lakeside house of artist David Drayton, where he lives with his wife and son. After gauging how bad the damage was, they realize they have to go for some supplies at the supermarket. But from the lake a strange mist draws in, and the entire town seems strangely in chaos. One that gets explained when strange otherworldly creatures start coming from that mist, anyone getting near them suffering a violent fate.

So trapped in the supermarket, tensions start to run high among the locals.

The Stephen King novella this film was based on served as a source of inspiration for games like Half-Life and Silent Hill which to say the least is quite telling. And this adaptation by Frank Darabont (who also worked on other King adaptations like The Shawsank Redemption and The Green Mile) completely runs with it's setup and expands upon the novella to create an actively unpleasant, bleak experience. Outside of the monsters, paranoia runs the show, and when you add religious fanaticism to the mix(a Stephen King staple) you're either going to be deeply disturbed or deeply irritated by Mrs. Carmody's character. It may be the point but it's honestly quite draining to watch.

The experience isn't helped by the visual effects either. While some shots look downright majestic, others plain don't blend well to the point the high concept doesn't quite save the overall presentation. It's still engaging, it just has some bumps in the road (it's recommended to watch the black and white cut to mitigate the problem, as it was the intended experience).

Besides, if the movie is remembered for something, that's got to be the ending. It simply makes up for everything: when even Stephen King himself agrees you outdid his job, you absolutely nailed it. It’s haunting, tragic, exceptionally cruel and powerfully encompasses the futility of a cosmic nightmare.