The Mist (2007)

After a freak electrical storm damages their home, a commercial artist (Thomas Jane) leaves his wife (Kelly Collins Lintz) at home and goes into town with his son (Nathan Gamble) and neighbor (Andre Braugher) to purchase supplies. But a thick fog soon envelops the store and the employees and customers are trapped by something deadly in the mist. Based on the novella by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont (THE GREEN MILE). This is one of the best adaptations of King's works. Originally released in color, it was always Darabont's intention to release the film in B&W but the studio nixed that idea and it wasn't until the DVD release that Darabont got his wish. I saw the color version when first released and quite enjoyed the film but the B&W version is a revelation. Everything is heightened from the suspense to the emotional distress and the special effects aren't so obvious. The acting is good especially Marcia Gay Harden as a religious fanatic who is so annoying that you just want to punch her in the face. My one quibble is the film's downer ending which is different from the book which ends on an ambiguous note where we don't know the survivors' fate. I would have preferred the book's ending with them driving away in the mist and not knowing their fate instead of the grim finale we're given. With Frances Sternhagen, Toby Jones, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn and William Sadler.