As we approach our “end of self,” we may begin to hear (or spout) the “it ain’t my fault” refrain as we frantically point the finger of blame everywhere but at ourselves. Times of trying and testing can reveal an ugly side to our nature. I echo the sentiments of the character who answered the question “You don’t have much faith in humanity, do you?” with “None whatsoever.” In fact, the movie is bitterly pessimistic in what it has to say about the nature of mankind.

“I believe in God, too. I just don’t think he’s the blood thirsty asshole you make him out to be.” –biker

However, make no mistake, as the movie points out and criticizes, depraved acts can be cloaked in the name of religion. Religion, much like politics, has been and can be perverted to people’s own agenda and ends. People can go mad with fear, so that ideas such as expiation get twisted, to put things charitably. They can get “too Old Testament” a perspective on things, because if “you scare people bad enough, you can get them to do anything.” Leading them to get caught up in the idea of trying to earn their salvation… by any means necessary.

There probably should be a sense of “terror” or awe of seeking a relationship with something larger than we can conceive of with our finite minds, something beyond our measure and control. Which is why the notion of working out our salvation in fear and trembling can be such a messy proposition.

On a final note—and I’m going to make this as spoiler free as possible—the thing about horror movies and novels is not so much that you want a happy ending, but after investing in characters you care about (and few people can create characters like Stephen King) for any length of time, you want some semblance of hope. Though sometimes unrelentingly bleak endings are called for, but only when they are true to the story. So you will leave feeling The Mist to either be needlessly cruel, a big flipping-off of the audience, or with the feeling of a slap to the face, but the good kind of pain.

The parting thought I had after seeing this nihilist movie is that there has to be more to this life than this, more than the depravity of man when left to our own plans and devices. Or else if I’m wrong, to quote Brent Norton, the joke really is on me.

Mutant insects, Lovecraft-inspired dinosaurs, unhinged religious fanatics, and people simply fearing for their lives—The Mist has plenty of villains to choose from. Buoyed by humor (despite its fatalistic explorations of humanity under siege), the movie’s roller-coaster antics propel, if not always sustain, it. There are plenty of yell-at-the-screen moments, plenty of gross out moments, and plenty of genuine scares, even the though the movie veers into heavy-handed territory with some of its ponderous dialogue.