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The Mist

Ridiculously alright

By PETER KEOUGH | November 20, 2007

2.0 Stars

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for The Mist.

Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the Stephen King novella spawns a horror beyond human comprehension. Yes, I’m talking about another performance by Marcia Gaye Harden. She plays a Bible-thumping harridan seeking refuge in a supermarket from Whatever Is Out There (tentacles, giant bugs, and one big guy who looks like an escapee from Mumenschanz). Inevitably, she and the other survivors form a microcosm. We have the pragmatic humanists who try to figure out what happened (could it have something to do with the secret Army base? Nah . . . ) and what to do about it (let’s tie a rope to someone and see how far he gets!). Then there are the fanatic rationalists headed by a haughty New York lawyer and Christopher Hitchens. Who will survive until the obvious final irony? Although ridiculous even within its own premises, Darabont’s film maintains an uncompromising nihilism that nearly penetrates the mist to reveal genuine terror. 127 minutes | Boston Common + Harvard Square + Fresh Pond + Chestnut Hill + Suburbs

Topics: Reviews , Stephen King, Christopher Hitchens, Frank Darabont, More

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