The Mist

Joseph Smith | 3 March 2008

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The Mist
Roadshow
Rated MA15+

If you’re a fundamentalist Christian wacko pipe down!

Why? Because if the giant spider in the mist doesn’t get you, a down to earth, common sense supermarket clerk with a gun will.

The Mist is a new science fiction horror film adapted from a novella by master of terror and the underworld Stephen King.

Initially, no one knows the origin of the mysterious mist that envelopes a small southern-US town leaving many of the townsfolk trapped in a local supermarket for two days.

One man emerges from the mist with a bleeding nose. Another is dragged into the mist by a large tentacle never to be seen again. Soon bugs the size of footballs and mini-tetradactyls break through the store windows creating havoc inside and leaving several people dead.

At a superficial level, The Mist is yet another horror film where trapped humans must survive attacking monsters. It’s hardly new. That the giant insects result from an army experiment gone wrong is nothing new either. We’ve seen it before in countless zombie films.

However, The Mist’s strength is that this story of survival is about more than merely avoiding harmful creatures. Like the best scary films in recent time: I Am Legend, 28 Days Later and Signs, the real attraction of the story is the examination of the human condition in life-threatening moments. The film’s lead, David, is led to wonder: are the real monsters the creatures in the mist or the people in the store with him? When the thin veneer of civilisation is stripped away and survival rests on solidarity, those trapped in the store fall apart rather than pull together.

The film makers pose the question, “Where is God in all of this?” Enter ‘religious fanatic’ (press notes’ words, not mine) Mrs Carmody. She immediately diagnoses their situation as the ‘end of days’ and labels the mist as judgement for their lives of ‘sin and disillusion’. Next Carmody is shown kneeling down in one of the toilet cubicles, praying to God for an opportunity to witness as a Christian in the midst of this terrifying situation. She believes she will have fulfilled her purpose if even one person turns to God because of her witness throughout the ordeal.

Sounds good so far, right?

Well, as Carmody concludes her prayer the female lead Amanda kindly offers her support and friendship. Mrs Carmody takes offence to this, regards the offer of friendship as condescending and somehow belittling of the friendship she has with God and crudely asserts that if she wanted a friend equivalent to the woman she would squat down and defecate (my paraphrase) one for herself on the floor.

As Christians, it’s easy to be offended and think, “Just what we need, another negative stereotype in a Hollywood film”. However it is a sad truth that there are professing Christians world-wide whose characters are more cruel, arrogant and self-righteous than Christ-like. But then we shouldn’t be tempted to look to popular entertainment to somehow validate our faith. Jesus alone is our validation. The scriptures secure our promises. Yes, we may be disappointed by another negative Christian stereotype, but expecting filmmakers with a range of worldviews to only portray Christians positively is wishful thinking. In fact, our own humility should remind us that only portraying Christians positively would be a similarly unbalanced view of the world.

So, Carmody proceeds to preach a fire and brimstone message to those stuck in the supermarket. She quotes lots of imprecatory Old Testament statements and lots of Revelation prophecies but there is no gospel of forgiveness or love to be heard and she never once mentions the name of Jesus Christ. She certainly fails to ‘speak the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15).

At one point Amanda says, “People are basically good. We’re a civilised society”. One man responds, “As long as the machines are working and you can dial 911. Take those things away, toss people in the dark, scare them, no more rules, you’ll see how primitive they get”. Reports of murders, thefts and rapes in New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina provide ample evidence; Romans 3:10 confirms it: “There is no one righteous, not even one…no one who seeks God”.

Sadly, Carmody’s dangerous preaching leads to converts. Soon most of the store is backing her and supporting her call for a sacrifice to secure their salvation. She uses Abraham and Isaac as a reference point but never finds the fulfilment of their promises. And sadly, in converting people to her Christian heresy she makes the followers “twice as much a son of hell as [she is]” (Matt 23:15).

It is a little sad that the small remnant of clear thinking individuals in The Mist who reject Carmody’s horrible twisting of God’s word, end up rejecting God’s presence and relevance outright. It’s a reminder for Christians to be extremely thoughtful and sensitive in how we share and live out our Christian faith. The Mist is also a reminder that left to our own devices humanity is a rotten bunch. It will take a far greater sacrifice than we can offer to save us.

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