The 1 Horror Movie Ending That Completely F***ed Me Up

Over the years, many horror movies have impressed me with their twist endings, but none have astonished me as much as the book-to-movie adaptation of The Mist. The horror genre is chock-full of shocking and horrifying moments, but their endings are the true bread and butter of the genre. Some of the best horror movie endings are those that are bloody yet hopeful, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or devastating, like Smile. There are also those endings that completely upend viewers, like when Nancy is unexpectedly killed by Freddy Krueger at the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

However, the one ending that I’ll never forget is that of The Mist. Released in 2007, the movie begins with an intense storm falling over a small Maine town. A father and his son travel into town to get supplies, but quickly find themselves locked in a grocery store when a mysterious mist rolls in. The situation only worsens when a group of terrifying creatures appears in the mist and a woman in the grocery store begins calling for sacrifices. The movie grossed $57 million and earned a solid 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I Will Never Get Over The Mist’s Shocking Ending

The Mist’s Two-Pronged Ending

The most surprising horror movie ending I’ve ever seen is from The Mist. Notably, it comes in two parts. The first minor shock comes when the characters discover where the mist is coming from. Throughout much of the movie, the protagonist, David, is not only trying to survive the mist, but also find out why it is rolling in. Due to the ravings of Mrs. Carmody, who believes the mist is a punishment from God, audiences may start to believe that she’s right. However, everyone is surprised when a nearby soldier reveals that it’s actually part of a failed military experiment.

The biggest shock of The Mist’s ending, however, comes at the very end of the movie. David, his son, and the other survivors escape the grocery store and drive through the mist. They come upon a massive monster, and right at that moment, run out of gas. Then, David makes a horrifying decision. He kills the entire group, including his son, to save them from being brutally killed by the monster. However, just moments later, the mist clears and the U.S. military arrives to save them. Thus, David killed everyone for no reason, and collapses in complete anguish.

The Mist’s Ending Is Still One Of The Biggest Movie Twists Of All Time

What Makes The Mist’s Ending So Good

The Mist’s ending is not only one of the greatest horror movie twists, but one of the best movie endings in general. Over the course of the film, audiences are carried through this tense narrative that is spooky, but not necessarily violent. It is a slow burn that never makes audiences suspect such a blow-out ending. To me, the key to The Mist’s ending is that David faces a supernatural threat in the form of the mist, but also human threats through Mrs. Carmody. I was so concerned about the mist that I never considered how dangerous David could be.

Ultimately, David’s act is the core of The Mist’s disturbing ending. David is the hero of the story, yet he ends up committing the most horrific act of the entire film. Even if it was necessary to kill his son and the others, it would still be awful, because I never believed David could be capable of such violence. It is a choice that will most definitely haunt him for the rest of his life. However, it is the fact that the military is right around the corner that leaves me with a pit in my stomach.

What Stephen King Has Said About The Mist’s Ending

King’s The Mist Ending Versus Darabont’s

It is important to note that The Mist did not start out as a movie, but as a novella written by Stephen King. Yet, I was surprised to discover that King didn’t actually write The Mist’s shocking ending. As it turns out, it was Frank Darabont who decided to make David into a murderer at the end of the film. Originally, The Mist ended with David and the survivors driving into the mist, desperately hoping that they would make it out alive. Apparently, Darabont felt this ending was too ambiguous, and thus, changed it to something much more sinister.

Though some authors dislike it when filmmakers change their stories, Stephen King was thrilled with Darabont’s new ending. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, King said, “When Frank said that he wanted to do the ending that he was going to do, I was totally down with that. I thought that was terrific.” In this way, even King agrees that Darabont improved The Mist, and in turn, created one of the best horror movie endings of all time, one that continues to haunt me today.