Welcome to Reel People. It’s a place where, you guessed it, real people like yourselves spout off on new movie releases. It works best if you - yes, we mean you - jump into the forum link below and tell us what you think of the movie, too.

This week, we’re watching The Mist.

What I Liked: To say I enjoyed this movie is an understatement.  As an avid reader of Stephen King’s novels, I often feel the movie versions of his stories leave much to be desired.  The Mist, however, was intense, horrifying, and funny.  I left the theater feeling that Stephen King himself would have been jumping, gasping, and cheering along with the rest of the audience.  Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden gave captivating performances often leaving you no choice but to root for (or against) them.  Frank Darabont, who is no stranger to directing King films, does a great job in his latest thriller.

What I Disliked: At times, the creatures coming from the mist were a bit too fantastical to be entirely believable. In addition, the ending was somewhat predictable.

Would I Recommend?: Yes, I recommend this movie! It was wonderfully frightening and exciting.
Stephen King fans will appreciate the inside references to his other stories.

Score: 9 out of 10

- Jessica A. Locke

What I Liked: I expected next to nothing from Darabont’s adaptation of this novella from King that he wrote about 30 years ago. I was proved wrong. Many of King’s works have been about the supernatural and sci-fi, but almost all of them have been about human behavior. I really haven’t seen a good rational science fiction story like this in a little while. Talk about character development and interaction. Also, Mist doesn’t expect much from viewers save for occasional cheers or boos.

What I Disliked: I will say it, the film is pretty offensive. There is a character in the film who is a hysterical Christian evangelist and that’s all I’ll say, I’ll let you make up your own mind about that. One last thing, I loved the ending, but many of you will not, because you will be shocked, and angered, and saddened by it. I repeat, “angered.”

Would I Recommend?: Darabont parks you in your seat but doesn’t purposely try to scare you. And contrary to many horror films, Darabont doesn’t use the sci-fi elements of this film to frighten; the characters themselves and their actions will give you enough of a chill. Oh and the visuals, impressive and exciting. A word of advice, if you still feel wretched inside a few hours after viewing, it’s perfectly understandable, go watch “Evolution.”

Score: 8 out of 10

- Nizar Babul

What I Liked: This is the best horror movie I’ve seen in years! Stephen King has once again perfected the art of terror. “The Mist” hits on the basic universal fears of spiders, bugs, alien creatures, government experimentation, and mob mentality. Parts of the plot are reminiscent of a “Lord of the Flies” for adults. What sets “The Mist” apart from your average blood and guts horror movie is the intense, sophisticated psychology that drives fear into the audience, rather than relying purely on special effects and startling noises like so many movies do. Similar to “Pet Sematary,” the scariest element of “The Mist” is how we see the characters bring about their own demise. Inherent human reactions to fear, loss, and trauma cause the characters to take gruesome, self-destructive actions. The most terrifying thing of all is that we become so involved in the movie that we can almost see ourselves having taken those same actions, making the biggest monster – the biggest cause for fear - lie within ourselves.

What I Disliked: I wasn’t thrilled with Thomas Jane’s performance as the main character. His acting in this movie is pretty stiff and I felt the movie could have gone even further if the main character had been able to show a wider range of emotions.

Would I Recommend?: I definitely recommend this movie because it’s a lot better than your typical Hollywood formula horror film - that being said, don’t whine and pout that the ending isn’t going to be cheerful for the survivors.

Score: 8 out of 10

- Jessica Conrad