Dimension Films
He may not have been seen on screen that much over the last few years, but Thomas Jane appeared in some absolute bangers in the early '00s. Besides taking on the role of Frank Castle before Jon Bernthal became The Punisher, and facing down sharks in the undeniably awful but brilliant blast of a movie that was "Deep Blue Sea," Jane took the lead in the soul-crushing creature feature, "The Mist."
Released in 2007, "The Mist" was adapted from Stephen King's story of the same name, which appeared in his short story collection "Skeleton Crew." Frank Darabont, already familiar with King's work after helming "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," directed the movie, which cast Jane as artist David Drayton, who, along with his son, gets trapped in a supermarket when a mist of unknown origin consumes the town.
In no time at all, creatures from another dimension are snatching up locals while those who remain stand divided over trying to wrap their heads around what kind of forces are at work, and who will suffer the most because of it. In the end, the harrowing watch leads to an ending that leaves "The Mist" as one of the most disturbing sci-fi horror movies ever made, which might be why it became something of a cult hit in the years that followed.
Critics and audiences were generally happy to get lost in The Mist
Dimension Films
Rarely in conversation as one of the greatest Stephen King adaptations, the success that "The Mist" gathered from both audiences and critics wasn't anything to sniff at. Earning a commendable $57.5 million against a budget of $18 million, Darabont's daring journey through the supernatural fumes got a decent amount of thumbs-up, and it brought home a Saturn Award for Marcia Gay Harden.
Clocking in at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was deemed "a horror movie of real conviction" by Paul Clinton of CNN. Vulture's David Edelstein also commended the film, saying "The Mist builds toward a climax so wrenching that I hesitate to recommend the film, but I think Darabont earns his vision." The horror movie might not have held a prominent spot among the likes of "The Shining," "IT," or "The Shawshank Redemption," but there's no doubt that "The Mist" has left a lasting mark, not only on Stephen King's massive collection of adaptations but also on science-fiction horror as a whole.
In fact, the movie gained such a following that a television adaptation of the story arrived in 2017 for a single season on Spike. Speaking of television shows, these five Stephen King TV shows are a must-watch for fans of "IT: Welcome to Derry."