The Mist

After a violent storm hits a small Maine town, a thick mist rolls in and traps artist David Drayton and his five-year-old son inside a neighborhood grocery along with a handful of other locals. As the town outside fades into gray, the shoppers realize the fog hides lethal, otherworldly predators that roam the streets. With supplies dwindling and news scarce, leadership struggles and religious fervor clash, turning ordinary survival choices into intense moral dilemmas. The grocery becomes a microcosm of society, where fear and rumor push people into hard decisions, and the film keeps its focus on the tense, human dynamics rather than revealing every mystery beyond the mist.

Released in 2007, The Mist was directed by Frank Darabont and adapted from Stephen King’s novella, with Thomas Jane, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones, Marcia Gay Harden and Andre Braugher leading the cast. Darabont wrote the screenplay and made notable alterations to the source material, choices that shaped how viewers approached the story.

The film did not garner major Academy Award nominations, yet it stimulated strong discussion among critics and genre writers, particularly about its tonal and narrative decisions. While it missed mainstream awards attention, The Mist has maintained visibility through critical essays, retrospectives and ongoing fan debate.

Its bleak, divisive ending and vivid scenes of communal panic have become staples of horror conversation, prompting think pieces, podcast episodes and classroom talks about leadership under stress. Marcia Gay Harden’s portrayal of a fervent zealot has become shorthand in some circles for religious extremism in crisis situations, and scenes from the movie are frequently cited in debates about crowd behavior.

Critical response was mixed, reflected in a fan vote average near 6.94 out of 10, with many praising the atmosphere and performances while others faulted pacing and tonal shifts. The film probes how fear reshapes social order, the dangers of mob mentality, tensions between faith and reason, and the ethical costs people will accept when institutions and norms start to fall apart.