The Mist

It took director Frank Darabont writing a better ending for Stephen King’s 1980 novella before he could tackle making the best legitimate horror movie to come out in years. A father and young son become stranded in a populated strip mall grocery store in Maine where a deadly mist enshrouds the area as part of a terrible storm. Hidden in the thick fog are gigantic insects and prehistoric creatures that ensnare the store’s inhabitants in a grip of fear that brings out their worst and best qualities. Marcia Gay Harden is magnificent as a Christian fanatic, and Thomas Jane gives the best performance of his career in a low-budget, retro horror movie that is equal parts satire, suspense, and surprise. "Stephen King’s The Mist" is a reminder of what a really great horror movie is all about.

Rated R. 127 mins. (A-) (Four Stars)