16 years since the gritty adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist hit cinemas worldwide, horror fans still describe the ending as one of the most “harrowing” they’ve ever seen.
With Halloween set to take place later this month, people are reveling in new releases like the Australian hit “Talk to Me,” but some have also revisited some of the cult horror films that made waves over a decade ago, like “The Damn”. .
The film was released in 2007 and is based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King. According to fans, The Mist still seems to have the edge when it comes to producing one of the most unexpected and “brutal” endings in the horror genre.
The plot centers on a quiet Maine town that is hit by a severe storm – before a mysterious thick fog rolls in and envelops the community.
Several of the town’s residents, who have taken refuge in a supermarket during the storm, soon realize they must barricade themselves when a desperate resident rushes in to warn of danger lurking outside, just as the civilian alarm blares.
Brutal: Ever since the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist hit theaters in 2007, horror fans have continued to describe the ending as one of the most “harrowing” they’ve ever seen
Mysterious: The residents of “The Mist” are picked off one by one by mysterious creatures that roam a blanket of fog that engulfs a small town, leading to a “torturous” ending to the film
As the residents are picked off one by one by the mysterious creatures roaming the fog, the main character hatches a plan to escape the supermarket and seek safety along with his son, wife and some survivors.
“The Mist” has an impressive 7.1 on IMDB and a commendable 73 percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, where it also has an audience rating of 65 percent.
A clip of the ending uploaded to YouTube in 2019 by user @THESSALONIAN31N has since had over 3,000 people comment to express their unwavering dismay at the ending.
In the end, the main character takes the lives of both his young son and his fellow survivors, even though they thought all hope was lost – only for him to run out of ammunition.
The brutal moment is immediately followed by the clearing of the fog as swarms of US Army soldiers appear, having begun exterminating the creatures and finally restoring order to the city.
YouTube users who have re-watched the horror hit in recent years commented on the film. Most agreed that the ending is still before the endings of newer, more progressive releases.
One fan wrote: “One of the most haunting endings ever put to film. ‘AWESOME!’ while another said of the main character: “His anguished screams after killing his son and then seeing the army are acting perfection.”
One person commented on Stephen King’s approval of the ending: “When the author of the source material praises the ending as better than what he originally created, you know it’s something special.”
Trapped: The plot focuses on a quiet Maine town that is hit by a severe storm – before a mysterious thick fog rolls in, enveloping the community and trapping several residents in a store
The cult classic The Mist has become a fan favorite, with many horror fans claiming that the film’s ending undoes the original from Stephen King’s 1980 novel
Another fan wrote: “The sheer irony blew me away when I saw this in the cinema.” “Not all endings are happy, this one was brutal and hopelessly realistic.”
Another horror enthusiast said: “The ending is like a punch in the gut.” “The whole build up to a perfect ending,” while another wrote: “Absolutely heartbreaking.” How could a person live with themselves after went through that? Unreal.’
About their sibling’s moviegoing experience, one person commented: “My brother saw it in the theater, he told me that afterward, during the credits, no one said anything, no one left, they all just dropped their jaws in disbelief.”
One final fan pondered a possible alternative ending to the film, writing: “This ending is excruciating.” If David had waited just a few more seconds, his wife, friends and son would have made it.
“That slow motion of David falling to his knees and realizing what he’s done is absolutely heartbreaking to watch.”
According to IMDb, director Frank Darabont’s “controversial” ending is actually taken directly from the material in Stephen King’s book.
Written in the first person, David considers this notion a possibility, noting that there are three bullets and four people, but he closes his diary and leaves it in a restaurant where the survivors have taken refuge, before the car runs out of gas.
Darabont felt this ending was too ambiguous and wrote the story up to its final climax, an ending that Darabont says in the DVD commentary was approved by King as the ending King would have liked to have in mind.
Because the film’s ending differs from the original in King’s 1980 novel, horror enthusiasts claim that the film’s version outshines the original – which is reflected in the numerous nominations and awards the film received.
The Mist won Best Horror Film at the 2007 Fright Meter Awards, while Frank Darabont won Best Director.
The film was also named winner of the Best Horror or Science Fiction category at the Internet Film Critic Society Awards.
High praise: YouTube users who have re-watched the horror hit in recent years have expressed their unwavering dismay at the film’s ending in comments