One of Mike Flanagan most exciting new movie projects is an adaptation of Lovecraftian Stephen King novel. However, as exciting as the project may seem, it already seems to face a major adaptation challenge. While Flanagan has adapted many Stephen King books in the past, this new movie could potentially be his most ambitious and testing project to date.
The Lovecraftian aspects of the original story already make it incredibly challenging to adapt. What makes the movie project even more complex is the fact that The Mist already has an incredible movie adaptation that premiered in 2007. Directed by Frank Darabont, the film premiered in 2007 and is widely considered a cult classic because of its divisive but bold ending.
Mike Flanagan’s The Mist Faces The Impossible Challenge Of Beating The 2007 Adaptation’s Ending
A lot of horror movies close on a bittersweet note, where the overarching supernatural threat still seems to linger despite being defeated by the central human characters. However, The Mist is one of the rare few horror films that does not leave viewers with even a speck of hope. In its harrowing ending moments, the main character, who is supposed to be humanity's savior, agrees to die by suicide along with a few other survivors.
They make this decision because they realize their insignificance in the face of the overarching threat. Instead of letting the threat take their lives, they decide to keep their fate in their own hands. To the hero's dismay, though, the gun they use to die by suicide runs out of bullets. He is the last one to survive in a car full of lifeless bodies.
When he finally steps out of the vehicle to surrender to the monsters outside, a wave of guilt and remorse hits him when he realizes that human military forces have finally found a way to overpower the otherworldly threat. With this, the hero helplessly wails in agony before the credits start rolling.
As devastating as The Mist's ending may seem, it perfectly captures the Lovecraftian undertones of the original Stephen King story. It highlights how human beings are ultimately powerless against forces far greater than their understanding. And if one tries too hard to control one's fate, desperation and fear can cloud judgment so deeply that the consequences become far more horrifying than the threat itself.
Stephen King, too, appreciated the movie's "anti-Hollywood" ending even though it changes his original story (via Yahoo!). Since the 2007 movie has already captured the original Stephen King story's Lovecraftian essence, it is hard not to question how Mike Flanagan will top it.
Flanagan is known for delivering some of the most creative modern adaptations of classic literary works. However, since 2007's The Mist already set an incredibly high bar, Mike Flanagan's take on the story risks feeling too familiar or unnecessary unless it finds a drastically different angle.
Flanagan’s Take On The Mist Could Prove He Can Do More Lovecraftian Horror
The upcoming adaptation of The Mist already seems doomed because of how brilliant and subversive the 2007 movie feels even to this day. Mike Flanagan's The Mist can also not avoid being compared to the 2007 film since Frank Darabont's version is widely regarded as one of the greatest Stephen King adaptations ever made.
However, Flanagan's long line of hits and critically acclaimed adaptations in the horror genre suggest that he might be able to pull it off. If all goes well for The Mist's new remake, it could serve as the perfect stepping stone for Flanagan to delve deeper into the cosmic horror genre.
Mike Flanagan is yet to fully immerse his feet in Lovecraftian horror. While some of his previous works have dabbled with cosmic elements, he has not completely embraced the horror subgenre yet. If his take on Stephen King's The Mist succeeds, he could even consider making direct adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft's stories.
Hopefully, Mike Flanagan's adaptation of the Stephen King story will not disappoint and pave the way for him to work on more ambitious and potentially Lovecraftian horror projects.
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