The Mist 2007 drama, horror

A random group of people hole up in a supermarket to escape an unknown threat lurking in the dense fog that descended upon a small town. We are shown a few hints of man-eating monsters, but nothing conclusive. Some people in the store are not convinced of danger, and a skeptical lawyer scoffs loudly about the whole deal being a big hoax. Mild Spoilers follow. Soon several people decide to leave the store and find their cars in the misty parking lot. The black lawyer leads the way, another man, ties a rope around his waist, and volunteers to investigate the mist and return via the rope to report about what he sees. Of course our horror movie senses are tingling as we already know the outcome. In classic Hollywood horror fashion, a black is the first to die. The battle for the rope becomes desperate until finally the rope goes slack. Our hero, Thomas James, hauls in the rope. He recovers the lower half of a dead body severed at the waist. That scene ends the debate about the seriousness of the threat.
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Strange and unexpected human dynamics emerge as the group tries to figure out what the hell is going on, and how to remain alive in the face of unimaginable danger. Thomas Jane is the leader of one group that I will call the realists, and Marcia Gay Harden, as Mrs. Carmody, takes the polar opposite approach – that of a religious fanatic – hers is a biblical vision with the monsters being sent by “God to punish us for our sins”. She also believes that sacrificing human blood is the only way to appease the monsters. She makes a daring prophesy and announces, “We are safe. The monsters will not return tonight because of the sacrifices of the unbelievers made today.” The store is not attacked that night. Several people listen to Mrs. Carmody’s very passionate “hell and brimstone” sermons and begin to believe her new prophesies. Who will be the next sacrifice? Certainly none of the “True Believers” following Mrs. Carmody must face the monsters, so by default that leaves our brave band of “realists” to venture into the dreaded mist. No spoilers.   

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