Movie Review: The Mist

The Mist starts with a violent thunderstorm that rips through a small town in Maine. We're then introduced to David Drayton (Thomas Jane) whose house was damaged from the storm. David decides to travel into town for supplies at the market; he takes his son, and his neighbor Brent Norton (Andre Braugher).

When the three arrive at the store they see that it's packed with people trying to get supplies. Soon after their arrival a siren irrupts from within the town, and then a man comes running into the store yelling about something in the mist. Everyone in the store witnesses as a mysterious mist comes spilling toward the market, and blocking out the sun. The people decide to lock the doors, and stay inside the market until someone comes to help them.

We then see what's inside the mist as David, and few others go into the back of the market to fix the generator that seems to be blocked. When they open the garage door tentacles from an unseen beast rush into the storeroom, and kill the stock boy Norm. When the men tell the rest of the patrons of the store a small few find it hard to believe, and they decide to venture out into the mist to find help. Needless to say they don't make it too far before something bad happens, and with that the fear for the remaining patrons raises ten fold.

This is were the story gets really into the human aspect of the film as fear forces some people to look for guidance, which gives Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) a chance to preach her extreme religious beliefs. The movie picks up with crazy religious zealots spewing their agenda, and then we see David, his son, and few others leave the store to find help by way of his vehicle.

The acting in this movie was top notch with Tom Jane leading the way. This is a different kind of role for Tom, but I felt he did a terrific job in portraying a farther whose only concern is to protect his young son. Marcia Gay Harden was just terrific as the religious zealot that has an agenda, and is willing to push it on anyone who will listen. The rest of the cast is rounded out with great actors like Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones, William Sadler, and Jeffrey De Munn.