The Mist is the latest collaboration between horror author Stephen King and director Frank Darabont. The first time these two got together it resulted in one of the best movies of the last twenty-five years. The Shawshank Redemption is a text book example of cinematic perfection. The second time Darabont and King paired, it was for the similarly themed Green Mile. The reason I bring these two films up is to set the stage for The Mist. Right out of the gate, know that The Mist is nothing like Shawshank or Green Mile. Those films traded in King's trademark horror sensibility for emotionally powerful drama. While The Mist doesn't stray away from drama, make no mistakes–this is a straight up monster movie! But this isn't just about the monsters in the mist (and there are many creatures to speak of). It's also about the monsters buried deep within the human psyche.

In The Mist, a thick fog rolls into town, and several shoppers at a local supermarket quickly begin to realize this is no ordinary fog. What are the creatures that emerge from this mist? Are they part of a screw up at a nearby military base where scientists are trifling with the possibility of opening the door to parallel planes of existence or are these creatures straight out of Revelations? They are explained, but they're more of an excuse to unleash the darker side of the human characters.

Like all memorable horror films (think Night of the Living Dead and it's shrewd, satirical follow up Dawn of The Dead), The Mist could be seen in many different ways. Yes, it is a monster flick and, at times it even degenerates in to high camp, but just beneath the surface of this b-movie, is a heavy foundation of social commentary. The Mist plays as an allegory for post 9/11 paranoia (interesting given that King's novella was published nearly thirty years ago). It's also about religious fundamentalism (Marcia Gay Harden's brilliant, visceral turn as a crazed religious zealot is both hilarious and chilling). And while the fusion of social commentary, horror, camp, and drama doesn't always work, The Mist still got to me.

I have no doubt that this film will divide audiences. Following a screening of the movie, I engaged in several conversations with folks who had a difference in opinion. Some thought it was silly, while others simply thought it was boring. For me, it worked. This isn't to say The Mist isn't flawed. It certainly is. There are issues with the dialogue. Included, one too many scenes in which characters overstate the obvious. When a door is opened, it isn't necessary for a character to let us know it. We can see it for ourselves. There are also plenty of standard horror movie cliches. Characters standing around instead of hauling ass out of a dangerous situation. But then, this is the sort of stuff many folks expect out of a movie like this. They want a reason to yell at the characters up there on the screen. "Get the hell out of there - dumass."

In the end, what really affected me was the film's tone. There's an ominous sense of apocalyptic dread seeping from The Mist, most notably in the final act. And the ending! A devastating powerhouse. The most disturbing, gut wrenching, cynical conclusion I've seen in a film since the final moments in David Fincher's Seven. Strange, given that Darabont (a film maker known for a sentimental side – see The Majestic) delivered one of the most perfectly fitting upbeat endings in movie history (that moment on the beach during the final frames of Shawshank nearly moved me to tears). But is the ending in The Mist the right ending? Author Stephen King thinks so and I agree. (Though it is a significant departure from King's own). The Mist is a movie about darkness and despair and the conclusion, while incredibly dark, feels right. It also feels very Twilight Zone as does much of the movie.

Frank Darabont isn't beneath the unpleasantness of The Mist. He's tackled horror works before (in the 80's, he penned screenplays for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors, The Fly II, and the underappreciated remake of The Blob), but The Mist is much more elaborate. There's more going on in this movie than meets the eye.

As a director, Darabont has scaled things back a bit. Rather than big, sweeping camera movements, he's resorted to a more intimate, hand held approach with the aid of the team that brings television's "The Shield" to life. Truth be told, there are a few shots that are a bit sloppy, but overall, this approach benefits the movie. It puts us right there in the supermarket.

Darabont is a master at building tension. There's a sequence in which a group of survivors attempt to retrieve medical supplies from a nearby pharmacy, that is absolutely nail biting (those who have a fear of spiders, best close their eyes). Darabont is also clearly a big fan of the genre. He not only pays homage to King, but there are tips of the hat to a number of other great genre films including The Fog, The Thing, and Aliens.

The Mist isn't exactly the feel good movie of the holiday season, but it is further proof that Darabont and King make a great team. Again, this isn't The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile, but it is a creepy, bleak and jaundiced look at the world complete with horrific monsters, scared human beings reverting to primordial instincts, and a devastating moral dilemma I won't soon forget.