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[SJRB]

It gets even more insane when you realize the army comes in from behind them and they were driving away from the help all this time.

 

[RJMacready73]

Id love to see a prequel and I reckon it would make for an excellent horror about how the army fought to contain it which ultimately led to its release, has there ever been any word on what happened or how it happened as that's a fucking cool story right there

 

[RJMacready73]

Enter Chat GPT...

Sure — here's a short synopsis for a prequel to Stephen King's The Mist:

---

Title: The Arrowhead Project


When a classified U.S. military research facility in rural Maine begins experiments on interdimensional travel, scientists celebrate a breakthrough that could change the world. But as pressure mounts from shadowy government overseers, safety protocols start to slip. Strange power surges, unexplained disappearances, and distorted radio signals hint that something on the other side is watching back.


As paranoia spreads through the base, a young technician discovers that the "window" they've opened may already be a door — and it's stuck wide open. When containment finally fails, the project's true horror is unleashed: a creeping, otherworldly mist that devours everything in its path.


The final transmission from Arrowhead reads only: "Close the gate… if you still can."

---

Would you like me to make it sound more like a film pitch, a novel blurb, or a TV series synopsis?

 

[Madflavor]

Ending is great, but personally I wouldn't shoot my boy unless our chances of survival were pretty much 0%. If I were in that dude's shoes we would've been rescued.

Then a few years later I'd be sitting in my rocking chair saying "Son…let me tell you about the time I almost shot you in the face."

 

[Poppinfresh]

Id love to see a prequel and I reckon it would make for an excellent horror about how the army fought to contain it which ultimately led to its release, has there ever been any word on what happened or how it happened as that's a fucking cool story right there

Read "The Fold" by Peter Clines. It's exactly what you are looking for.

 

[RJMacready73]

Read "The Fold" by Peter Clines. It's exactly what you are looking for.

Just read a quick synopsis of that, yup you are correct that is right up my street and onto my Amazon list

 

[Poppinfresh]

Just read a quick synopsis of that, yup you are correct that is right up my street and onto my Amazon list

If you like that one, he's written a few more in the same universe: 14, Terminus, and Dead Moon (I think)

I haven't read Terminus or Dead Moon but 14 is great.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Because i feel like i'm the only one.

Surprised by this take and all the people in here agreeing.
Everyone I talked to thought the ending was retarded; I saw it in theater and as soon as the army rolls in people started groaning, and during the credits the audience started having conversations amongst themselves about how the ending sucked and ruined the movie

 

[Hookshot]

It gets even more insane when you realize the army comes in from behind them and they were driving away from the help all this time.

They were fleeing the mist that came from the military base. The daft part to the whole story is that that would imply that it was a very small localised threat as it wasn't even the wider military that stopped it, just the base and whoever they called on quickly.

Been a while since I saw it, does it say how long they were driving for? Seems they shot each other after a day and a bit.

 

[Days like these...]

Surprised by this take and all the people in here agreeing.
Everyone I talked to thought the ending was retarded; I saw it in theater and as soon as the army rolls in people started groaning, and during the credits the audience started having conversations amongst themselves about how the ending sucked and ruined the movie

Upset that a movie doesn't have a happily ever after ending like most movies? Maybenthey should stick to movies that are rated PG or better yet G to be on the safe side.

 

[Sticks]

I love the movie

 

[nkarafo]

Surprised by this take and all the people in here agreeing.
Everyone I talked to thought the ending was retarded; I saw it in theater and as soon as the army rolls in people started groaning, and during the credits the audience started having conversations amongst themselves about how the ending sucked and ruined the movie

Not sure if i dislike the ending for the same reasons though. I was groaning at the mass suicide part. Didn't matter what happened next, i didn't even care tbh. That part had ruined the movie for me already.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Upset that a movie doesn't have a happily ever after ending like most movies?

No

Not sure if i dislike the ending for the same reasons though.

It was the same reasons yes.

 

[Paasei]

I think you are missing the point.

When i say the ending is dumb, i don't mean the characters are acting dumb or not.

In this situation, it would be more realistic/probable for at least 1 character (out of 4 ffs) to try their chance by getting out of the car instead of taking a bullet in the head. Or maybe wait it out more because of the reasons i already explained.

Whether this is a dumb decision by this one character or not it's a matter of perspective, like you say. But from a movie making perspective, i say it's dumb to assume all 4 people in a pool of 4 would just accept to get a bullet in the head.

I don't know how to stress this enough. The issue is not that someone decided to kill themselves over a desperate situation. The issue is that in a pool of 4 people they all decided the same thing. The possibility that someone would chicken out or that someone would be more hopeful than the others is not touched at all. That's dumb.

Gas ran out, the situation has been nothing but hopeless throughout the entire movie. You can get out of the car, opening the possibility of being fucked over by monsters. You've seen nothing else for the entire time you were in the store all the way till that point. Yet somehow you might have a faint feeling that you are the lucky one and might make it? I wouldn't believe that shit and take the bullet.

 

[nkarafo]

You can get out of the car, opening the possibility of being fucked over by monsters.

Imagine killing yourself over a possibility.

Yet somehow you might have a faint feeling that you are the lucky one and might make it? I wouldn't believe that shit and take the bullet.

Or maybe your survival instinct would kick in so you would most likely back down and wouldn't pull the trigger.

And as i said already, i bet my ass the majority of the posters who so casually claim they would do it and are so certain about it, would not do it.

 

[Paasei]

"opening the possibility"

Imagine killing yourself over a possibility.


And as i said already, the majority of the posters who so casually claim they would do it and are so certain about it, would not do it.

After taking all the circumstances and everything that happened? I can imagine someone kicking the bucket.

Great insight to know that the majority wouldn't do it.

Also, it's a movie.

 

[AgatonSax]

Heh, all the tough guys on this site thinking their character types would survive a Stephen King novel; you're the guys who get killed off for comic effect, real early.

Ending was fine. Movie is about the power of despair and sits as a counterpoint to Shawshank which is about hope. As i recall they drive until they run out of gas. The mist is everywhere and spreading; no signs of human life. They've seen the massive monster just plodding by; the world is no longer theirs and any encounter will result in horrendous death soon as they leave the car. They are traumatised and irrational; they surrender to despair, happens in nature all the time.

What I would say is that the ending would have better if they all died and then the camera casually drifts down the road to show the twisty truth. The fact they let the Dad survive was needlessly cruel.

 

[GymWolf]

That depends. How sure you are about the monster fucking fate? I don't think they had enough evidence to suggest 100% the whole world is like this. So in a pool of 4 people you would expect at least one would think there's still hope.

Even if they were 100% sure there is no way to avoid a gruesome monster fucking death, in a pool of 4 people you would still expect at least one still being in denial clinging to hopioum because the survival instinct kicked in or because they are too scared to kill themselves.

So all in all, nah, i still don't buy a perfect 4 out of 4 would do what they did in the movie.

It was definitely made for shock value but it wasn't completely nonsense, you can feel what the characters felt in that moment so when they decide to kill themselves you can symphathize with them.

 

[Clear]

Its lazy and well... just shit imho.

That King himself supposedly liked it... well it just proves what I've thought for the last 40 odd years: King has no fucking clue how to plot an ending!

Honestly, which of King's "classic era*" novels end strongly? Because off-hand I can't think of any.

 

[DrFigs]

By the time I saw the movie, I already had the ending ruined for me, so I was fine with it. But in general, I want to see the good guys win, so it is a bummer.

 

[nkarafo]

so when they decide to kill themselves you can symphathize with them.

Can't say i sympathized with them. I was frustrated not a single one of them didn't argue or protest or was afraid to do it and all the other things i already mentioned.

After that i couldn't feel anything for them and the army appearing felt like a funny moment to me rather than tragic.

 

[TDiddyLive]

Because i feel like i'm the only one.

So now that's Halloween, i get all the horror movie references and posts in all parts of the internet. And The Mist is a pretty common topic. And of course, everyone just posts about how amazing that ending was.

I always thought this ending was stupid. Not bad, just stupid. Because it was made only for the sake of shocking the audience and making the "oh if only they waited a bit longer" ending.

But it completely defies logic, statistics and even the lore in this movie.

The fact that all four rational adults in the car simply agreed, without one protest, to get a bullet in the head is statistically impossible i think. I get the situation is desperate and i also get they think the alternative is worse. But there are some other factors:

- It didn't look like too much time had passed. It didn't look like they went too far. It felt like they were what, 5 hours in that car? 10 maybe?
- It didn't look like they were starving. They were in good shape. They still had plenty of time before they were truly desperate enough for killing themselves.
- They had absolutely no reason to believe the whole world was covered in the mist. They knew they could be wrong about that (and they were). Even if they were 90% sure that's the case, the 10% left is enough hope to not want to end your life.
- The movie assumes all 4 out of 4 people in the car had the guts to do this. In real life suicide is scary and not every desperate person has the courage to go through this. In fact, very few do. I would say only 1 out of 10 desperate people would manage it. I just hate how Hollywood movies portray suicide like it's some easy thing to do or "the easy way out". It's not easy. Not 4 out of 4 easy, for sure. Otherwise there would be no desperate people in the world. Not even 1 out of 4 protesting is just dumb.
- The movie established these people were the rational ones. They weren't brainwashed by some government or cult. Heck, even the brainwashed Japanese WW2 soldiers didn't all agree to suicide.
- Not 1 out of the 4 people thought to wait it out longer. Nobody thought maybe there's still hope, maybe the army (duh) is on it. They are not starving, they are not in pain, they are still in the safety of the car. Remember there were 4 people in there. 4 out of 4, again. Not even one protested at least.
- The "it's just a movie, try to enjoy it" defense doesn't work. The whole movie works because these four characters were supposed to be the rational ones VS the irrational ones. The movie itself establishes that during it's whole duration. I'm not just going to ignore that because the movie decided to ignore it for a crowd pleasing, shocking "twist" ending.

As you can see, my issue is mostly a statistical one. If it was just one person in the car it would be fine. Maybe two maximum, i would probably buy this. But four? Nah, that's too many people to all think and feel alike for something so final and scary.

The defense for all that is always the same: "You don't know what you would do in this situation". Nah, i'm pretty sure i would. And most likely you would do the same as i would. I don't believe you would do the same thing these people did. I'm sure you would protest, disagree or you would be too scared to do it. You would wait until you were truly desperate. And even then i bet you would just try your chances sprinting out of the car in hope you get in another that has gas, or maybe a house to catch your breath and eat/drink.

Maybe i'm wrong and you, yes you personally, are maybe brave enough to put a bullet in your head because you think your life is not worth waiting out more or trying your chances. But what are the chances every one around you thinks the same as you?


Anyway, that's why i hate this ending. Not only because it's dumb but also because everyone else seems to love it so much.

Happy Halloween.


Edit: I suggested two much better "bad" endings:

The ending took this movie from an ok mid-2000s horror movie to an unforgettable what-would-you-do movie. Sure, in hindsight it was a terrible choice, but in the moment he's thinking he doesn't want his son to suffer against these creatures. If he was right about the threat, would it have been the correct choice? That's the point.

 

[Days like these...]

Did not know so many people have such a hard time with death. I say this as someone who has survived a son and has elderly parents. Life goes on till it doesn't. It's really that simple.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Honestly, which of King's "classic era*" novels end strongly? Because off-hand I can't think of any.

The Dead Zone and Misery.

 

[nkarafo]

If he was right about the threat, would it have been the correct choice? That's the point.

Nah, you missed the point.

It's not about them being right or wrong. It's about them, 4 out of 4, deciding to kill themselves without a single one disagreeing or arguing or having second thoughts or saying "wait a minute, lets think about this for a second" and all of them, 4 out of 4, being able to actually do it without a single one chickening out or their survival instincts kicking in.

4 out of 4. How simplistic and dumb is that?

Just read my revised endings to see how easy it was to make a more believable ending.

 

[kevboard]

I agree. it felt insanely dumb.
especially given that they drove how long across an open field without getting into any serious issues? like... they drove hours apparently, and survived... not a single incident between driving off and stopping.

like... how bad can the situation be if you can just casually drive around in a loud vehicle with headlights?
the ending of Shaun of the Dead is funnily enough, very similar... and their situation is way more understandable. they are completely surrounded by zombies, all their friends and family died in front of them, one of their friends is currently dying in front of them. so if they offed themselves it would be kinda understandable... but not 5 people driving casually through an open field...

 

[JCK75]

Yeah but you have to compare it to every other Stephen King story ending.. in which case it shines like a diamond