Which horror classic is scarier, The Mist or The Fog - let's clear up the debate. Following the surprise success of Halloween, director John Carpenter was eager to make a different type of horror movie. With The Fog, he attempted a classical ghost story and cast Jamie Lee Curtis and his then-wife Adrienne Barbeau in lead roles. Carpenter was so unhappy with The Fog's original cut that he reshot about a third of the movie, adding a prologue, additional scares, and scenes of violence, in addition to composing a new score. These fixes worked a charm, as the film is considered one of his creepiest.
The Mist is a novella by Stephen King that director Frank Darabont had wanted to adapt since the 1980s. While Darabont is best known for The Shawshank Redemption, he's well versed in genre fare, having previously penned the scripts for A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and The Blob. The Mist is set in a supermarket that is besieged by an otherworldly mist, with vicious monsters lurking inside it. Some of the terrified survivors soon crack under the strain and become more of a threat than the creatures outside. The Mist is an intense, sustained thriller that is considered one of the best horror movies of the 2000s.
Both movies are beloved by horror fans, so deciding which comes out on top isn't easy. The Fog is one of John Carpenter's (The Thing) most atmospheric works and it moves like lightning. This is partly down to the aforementioned re-edits, though the director typically crafts lean narratives anyway. The Fog is an ensemble and frequently cuts between different characters, such as Curtis' hitchhiker or Barbeau's DJ. While the cast is solid, this constant switching around does make the story feel choppy. The story centers around ghosts returning to a coastal town to seek revenge, coming to claim six victims. The movie excels with its skillfully staged setpieces and the ghost stories spread throughout - such as the opening beach scene - but sometimes the connective tissue can lag.
The Mist is also an ensemble piece with a terrific cast, including Tom Jane (The Punisher), Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones, and many others. While the movie received some criticism for the quality of its CGI creatures, the monsters that emerge from the mist - including twisted spiders and tentacles - are terrifying creations. The setpieces, such as a raid on an infested pharmacy, are expertly shot, but it's all held together by the quality of the performances. The film is shot with a documentary style and borrowed some crew from TV series The Shield, lending it a realistic edge. The Mist is ultimately focused on how quickly fear can twist people, which is scarier than any imaginary monster could ever be. While it could be argued Harden's religious zealot is over the top, the fierceness of her performance overcomes this.
The Mist is probably best remembered for its harrowing ending, which still divides viewers to this day; for Stephen King's part, he claims he would have used it for his story had he thought of it. Both The Fog and The Mist are fantastic examples of the genre, but on the whole, the latter emerges on top. The Mist is a taut, haunting movie with superb performances that fans need to watch; that said, also see The Fog.