Amazon Prime has added a ‘criminally overlooked’ horror film that is a must-watch for fans of The Monkey.
The latest cinematic adaptation of a short story by renowned author Stephen King was released this month, earning rave reviews from both audiences and critics.
For those who enjoyed the big screen release, there’s another celebrated movie based on a King story available to stream at home.
Originally hitting cinemas in 2007, The Mist can be found in Amazon Prime’s library for subscribers.
The plot, like the original story, revolves around a violent storm hitting a town in Maine. The next morning, a menacing mist descends over the area.
The Mist is based on one of King’s supernatural horror tales (Image: MGM)
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A group of locals find themselves trapped in a supermarket, including artist David Drayton and his young son. They soon realise that the mist is inhabited by a variety of horrifying, otherworldly creatures that have entered through an inter-dimensional rift, possibly caused by a nearby military base.
As their surroundings transform into a literal hell-on-earth, the terrified townsfolk struggle to survive this apocalyptic catastrophe. The film was directed by Frank Darabont of The Walking Dead fame, marking his second adaptation of a Stephen King story after Shawshank Redemption.
Darabont would later adapt a third King story in The Green Mile.
Fans still praise the memorable ending to the film (Image: MGM)
The Mist has garnered a commendable 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been praised by Empire magazine, which awarded the film four stars and proclaimed: “Criminally overlooked in the States, this is one of the best horror movies of the last few years.”
Although violence and horror vary slightly from another Stephen King adaptation, The Monkey, it remains one of the finest interpretations of his short stories. Except for the dramatic final scene, the movie stays largely true to the original story, with King himself sharing the film’s conclusion being superior to his written finale.
It’s the riveting denouement that has left fans recalling the film fondly, as one enthusiast succinctly put it online, describing the horror flick as “extremely gripping and genuinely scary.”
Meanwhile, another fan hailed its translation to the silver screen, stating: “Wonderfully adapted yet somehow improved. There’s a dated campiness that’s great fun but soaked in unknown fear.”
Praise also came for the creature designs and the score, encapsulated by one comment: “The monsters’ design is amazing with a score that carries a cinematic tone. Vastly bleak and hopeless in its emotional climax.”
Furthermore, a third affirmed their personal preference, remarking: “The Mist is one of my personal favourite horror films. Suspense, mystery and horror all blended perfectly! All everyone talks about is the ending, but it’s justified as it’s just that shocking!”
The Mist is streaming on Amazon Prime, The Monkey is in cinemas now.