24. STOP AND CHOP: The supermarket just became a shop of horrors! Cleanup on aisle 24.

It’s been a depressing last few weeks, so I figured I’d watch a movie and why did I watch this? Seriously, has there ever been a movie that has a bigger downer? Spoilers all over this one, because wow, this movie.

Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Mist has a different ending than the one King wrote. Frank Darabont, who directed and wrote this, is one dark person.

David Drayton (Thomas Jane), his wife Stephanie (Kelly Collins Lintz) and their eight-year-old son Billy (Nathan Gamble) have had their home hit by a major storm. David takes Billy to get supplies and brings along his neighbor Brent Norton (Andre Braugher). As they shop for food, Dan Miller (Jeffrey DeMunn) bursts into the storm claiming that there’s something inside the mist. Managers  Ollie Weeks (Toby Jones) and Bud Brown (Robert Treveiler) locked everyone inside the store as it becomes covered by the foggy cloud.

When the generator breaks down, a bag boy (Chris Owen) tries to go outside and is killed by whatever is out there. This scene points out the issues in town between the educated like David and the locals who have lived there their whole lives like Jim Grondin (William Sadler). They bully the young kid until he’s nearly forced to go outside.

David wants to get everyone to fortify the grocery store but Brent wants to go get help. He refuses to believe that there are creatures outside. He also becomes close with Amanda Dunfrey (Laurie Holden) and Irene Reppler (Frances Sternhagen) as they struggle to deal with the religious Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) who has started to preach and gain followers. She thinks that this is the end of the world which is not easy on anyone, particularly when reptilian creatures invade the store and as everyone fights them off, one of them is burned alive and multiple people die, which only strengthens the Carmody’s influence.

Private Wayne Jessup (Sam Witwer) reveals that the local military was opening new dimensions and these creatures emerged. Carmody and her followers beat and stab him, sending him outside to be killed. This finally makes David realize that they have to leave, just as the demand to sacrifice Amanda and Billy is shouted. Ollie shoots Carmody and the group allows them to leave, but in the confusion multiple people are killed by the monsters.

David, Billy, Amanda, Irene and Dan make it to a car and leave, but no one else is alive. David’s house is destroyed and his wife is long dead. Once they run out of gas, everyone decides to use the bullets in the gun to kill themselves. David is the only one left, having shot his own son, when the military arrives with survivors — including a woman who ran away from the grocery store — and starts to restore order and kill the monsters. David realizes that he killed his son and led everyone else to their death for no reason.

King loved the ending: “The ending is such a jolt—wham! It’s frightening. But people who go to see a horror movie don’t necessarily want to be sent out with a Pollyanna ending.”

There’s a lot of Night of the Living Dead in this movie. While Ben is the hero of that movie, the truth is that Harry had the right plan. You’re just supposed to root for the hero and think that they have it all figured out and will survive. David does survive but at a cost much worse than if he died. He must think about what happened for the rest of his life now. That’s darker than almost any other horror film ever.