THE MIST (2007)

David Drayton (Thomas Jane), his Maine home damaged in a big storm, goes to a supermarket to stock up. He and the other shoppers notice lots of Army and law enforcement vehicles speeding away from the town, which is soon enveloped in a thick mist. The mist is breeding a variety of loathsome, insect- and bird-like creatures (created by an experiment gone wrong at a nearby Army research base) that gobble up and destroy anyone who ventures out of the store--the critters also break through the windows and attack those inside. The trapped shoppers put up a brave fight, but a local Bible-belter (Marcia Gay Hardin) starts preaching apocalypse, dividing the crowd and inciting violence. This movie does justice to an excellent Steven King novella of the same name, and succeeds as an imaginative horror creature-feature, a drama of heroism and weakness, and a commentary on reckless military experimentation. How they did this on a budget of only $18 million is beyond me. Jane, not the most emotive actor, does well in the lead role, and is ably supported by Harden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones and William Sadler (Eternal Redneck). Top notch.