The Mist (2007)

Based on a story by Stephen King, this film is perhaps one of the most unique horror films I have seen in a long time.

Painter and illustrator David Drayton (Thomas Jane) wakes up one morning to find an overnight storm has - among other things - caused a tree to come right through his studio window, destroying his latest project, a large painting that was to be a book cover for his publisher client.

But this isn’t the worst of the damage. The boathouse at the back of his family’s property has also been completely demolished, this second incident caused by the falling of a tree in his neighbour’s yard. And if his neighbour - out-of-towner lawyer Brent Norton (Andre Braugher) - was a little more civil to him, things would probably be a lot easier. But there is some bad blood between the two of them stemming from an earlier disagreement.

David takes his young son Billy (Nathan Gamble) to the local grocery store to try and get some supplies for the numerous repairs he now has to make. As luck would have it, Brent also needs supplies, and as his car was crushed by another falling tree, David gives him a lift, reluctantly of course.

On the way to the store, they pass a military vehicle going the other way, filled with army personnel. None of them think much of it at the time, but this will soon come to be important, just how much they don’t fully understand.

David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his son, Billy (Nathan Gamble).

When they arrive at the store, they can’t help noticing a thick mist coming down from the mountains. Once inside the store, they see that the mist is already filling the car park outside, making it virtually impossible to see their vehicle, even in broad daylight.

While they are inside, they hear a man’s voice screaming, “It’s in the mist, something’s in the mist!” A man - bleeding - reaches the doors of the store, ranting and raving about creatures in the mist, saying that one of the townspeople was taken by something not of this world.

At first, he isn’t believed, but when he is pulled back into the mist, the scene descends into panic.

For the remainder of the film - or most of it, anyway - those in the store find themselves confined to the inside of the store, after store manager Ollie (Toby Jones) locks all the external doors, barricading everyone inside (for their protection, of course). As things progress from bad to worse, many will die, and those left alive will be driven mad.

Local shopper Amanda (Laurie Holden).

The situation isn’t helped by local religious conservative - and well-known nutcase - Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) has several shoppers convinced that the Apocalypse has arrived, and that this is God’s punishment on a sinful world. If this was as far as it went, it might not be so bad. But, within the first few hours of confinement in the store, it’s almost Lord of the Flies, or worse, The Wicker Man, with crazed converts calling for blood sacrifice to appease a vengeful God, and put a stop to the madness.

The screenplay - written by frequent King adapter Frank Darabont - is absolutely chilling at every turn. His ability - and indeed King’s - to create terror and threat from something that is for the most part completely unseen is incredible. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Some of these were in the original source text, and some were created by Darabont purely for the film version.

Rohn Schmidt’s cinematography is brilliant. There are a handful of scenes that take place in almost total darkness, and these are captured exquisitely. The pacing of shots, and the framing of the various points of action, is perfect not only for the genre, but even in general film terms.

David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and Ollie (Toby Jones) trying to rescue a storeperson under attack.

The production design is also worth mentioning here. Designer Gregory Melton has created a whole world in the grocery store - and in a later sequence, other stores in the same shopping complex - and the attention to detail is very good. The design of all sets and locations exists purely to serve the needs of the film, all of which achieve their aims in spades.

Most of the cast are brilliant in their roles. Of particular note are Harden and Jones, both of whom bring so much reality to their characters, different though they may be. Harden in particular is chilling as the overzealous preacher; viewers will almost certainly rejoice in the eventual breaking down of her arguments (when they come, and they do).

Director Frank Darabont has made quite a good film here. I’ve seen it a few times now, and it still gives me chills every time. Fans of Stephen King who are yet to see this film ought to do their best to watch it soon.

8 out of 10.

Doctor Sleep (2019)

It’s been nearly forty years, but we finally have a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. Based on a novel by Stephen King - itself a sequel to his novel on which Kubrick’s 1980 film was based - this film tells the continuing story of Danny Torrance, the young boy with a unique gift.

But of course, Danny is grown up now. Now an adult (Ewan McGregor), he struggles with alcoholism - as did his father, as you will know if you saw or read The Shining - and has never been able to completely move on from the horrific events of his childhood.

He still has visions of the man with whom he shared his psychic gift - what he called ‘shining’ - Dick Halloran (Carl Lumbly).

Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor).

And he learns very early on that he is by no means the only person to still possess this gift. There is a young girl named Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran) with whom he is able to communicate, even over incredibly long distances, and she has been having horrific visions of her own.

For decades now, across the country, young children have been going missing. These children have been the victims of a very strange cult led by a woman named Rose (Rebecca Ferguson), who promises her followers she can give them the gift of immortality. The only caveat is that to continue to live forever, they must ‘feed’ on the fear of children.

As Abra’s visions grow stronger, and her connection to Dan becomes more intense, the two of them, along with Dan’s AA sponsor, Billy (Cliff Curtis), must track down this cult and stop them before they kill again.

The screenplay - by director Mike Flanagan - is incredibly clever. For one thing, it is based quite strongly on King’s novel, but at the same time, several changes had to be made to some of the finer points of the plot to bring it in line with Kubrick’s 1980 film.

Rose (Rebecca Ferguson).

If you didn’t already realise this, there were significant departures from the source material of the original, and this film is just as much a sequel to that film as it is an adaptation of its own source material. Balancing these two things cannot have been easy, but Flanagan has made it appear effortless.

The characters are incredibly well-defined, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you perched on the edge of your seat right up to the incredibly intense conclusion - even if you have read the novel.

While the film contains more jump-scares than I have seen in a single film for quite some time, there is also plenty of legitimate ‘scariness’ to this film. It is even more intense than Kubrick’s film, but is the perfect follow-up (and even manages to make some sense of the ridiculousness of the original).

The Newton Brothers, who composed the film’s score, have done a reasonable job of heightening the tension through the use of music and sound. Some of the film’s early scenes feel a little over-scored at times, but overall, the music is well-placed and well-suited to the action and emotion of the plot.

Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran).

Where this film truly shines - pun absolutely intended - is in the performances of the cast. Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson are particularly good in their roles, but it is newcomer Curran who steals the show as young Abra. The intensity of her performance, and the naturalism of her reactions at every moment, are truly breathtaking, and she no doubt will have a long and successful career ahead of her.

There is also a short-lived performance by Jacob Tremblay - who you may know from his performances in the films ‘Room’ and ‘Wonder’ - that will send chills right down your spine.

Director Mike Flanagan has made an incredible film here, one that not only pays homage to its predecessor in the most appropriate way, but also stands as a terrifyingly brilliant example of the genre in its own right. If you saw The Shining, you absolutely must see this film.

9 out of 10.

Carrie (1978)

Based on Stephen King’s bestselling debut novel, this film shows what can happen when school bullying goes a bit too far.

Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is a bit of an outsider, to say the least. Thanks to her strict, religious mother Margaret (Piper Laurie) with her very sheltered upbringing, along with her quiet, reserved personality at school, she is constantly being singled out and picked on by all the other students.

In senior year, in the showers in the girls’ locker room after gym class, she gets her period for the first time. Given her extremely sheltered upbringing, even though she is nearly eighteen, she has no idea what is going on, and thinks she is dying. Crying out for help to the other girls doesn’t help, and they just pick on her even more, taking it a little too far this time.

Gym teacher Miss Collins (Betty Buckley) comes to Carrie’s aid, chastising the other girls for their horrible treatment of her, and sends Carrie home early.

When the other girls are given an ultimatum (attend a week’s detention or miss out on going to the prom), one of the main ringleaders Chris (Nancy Allen) spits the dummy and has to miss prom.

Furious, and blaming Carrie for her problems, she hatches a plot with her boyfriend Billy (John Travolta) to humiliate Carrie in front of the entire class at the prom.

Meanwhile, there is something else going on with Carrie. Every time she gets angry or upset or scared, she discovers she can move objects with her mind. She looks into it in the school library, and discovers she has powers of telekinesis. Naturally, this doesn’t sit well with her self-righteous religious mother, whose discipline largely consists of beating Carrie, locking her in a closet and screaming at her to pray for forgiveness.

Only one student, Sue Snell (Amy Irving), sticks up for Carrie, and tries to make her life better by convincing her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to invite Carrie to the prom.

But it is at the prom that everything goes wrong. I won’t tell you what happens, check it out for yourself.

Lawrence D. Cohen’s script is quite different in many places from King’s novel. Firstly, it is strongly suggested in the film that Carrie’s powers only begin to manifest themselves after the incident in the showers, in some way a result of her becoming a woman. In the novel, however, it is made quite clear that Carrie was in fact born this way, and things have been going wrong around her for her whole life, and that this is the reason for her mother being as overbearing as she is.

That is not the only difference between the novel and the film, but it is definitely the most obvious.

The score (by Pino Donaggio) is absolutely superb, consisting mainly of a collection of leitmotifs that recur throughout the film to highlight particular elements, and draw similarities between events that would otherwise not seem linked at all.

On the topic of superb crew members, I must mention the cinematography of this film, performed impeccably by Mario Tosi Isidore Mankofsky. The entire film is beautifully shot, with the few tender moments in the film handled with the utmost care and intimacy. Use of light and dark throughout is also done well, and the framing of every shot and every scene is almost perfect (certainly worth a look to any student of filmmaking).

Cast performances are varied in their level of ability, with Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie being the clear standouts without a doubt. The particular relationship between these two characters is brought to the fore in every interaction they have, and the character history is clearly present under the surface, done in a way that can only be accomplished by actors of great talent, which these two ladies most definitely are.

On the other hand, in the case of John Travolta for instance, I wonder whether he thought he was still in Grease; his character and personality doesn’t seem to differ at all from that of Danny Zuko, which is a shame, because I have seen Travolta in many other films where he seems to be able to handle himself well as an actor.

Brian de Palma, the director, has made a reasonably good film here. It may not be the best novel-to-film adaptation out there, but it still stands up as one of the best horror films of the twentieth century.

(A brief note: This film was remade with Chloë Grace Moretz in the title role, with Julianne Moore as her mother. This remake was a lot closer to the book, and in my opinion, a better film overall. I may still review this remake at some point, as it is different enough from the original to qualify as a new film).

8 out of 10.