The Mist (Netflix adaptation)

[SirKazum]

Anyone here watching/watched the Netflix adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist? I'm on my third episode so far and seriously considering giving it up. I mean, I love me some Stevie King, but media adaptations of his stuff are... uneven, let's say. Really hit or miss. And this one is looking to me more like a miss. Sure, it's kinda low-budget (which really shows in the special effects), the acting isn't exactly Emmy-level, and the pacing drags on way too much, most of the time you're like "yeah, we got it already, they're standing around and griping about their predicament, please show something interesting more than 10 seconds per episode", but to me the area where the Golden Raspberry really shines is the writing. It's just so, so lazy. For example...

Spoiler: Episode 3 spoilers

Show

To start off, minutes after the mist comes down, everyone's already in full Post-Apocalyptic Survival Mode. I mean, we know it's dangerous, but as far as characters are concerned at that point (especially ones who haven't been outside), it's just friggin' mist. Wait until they get an eclipse, they'll probably set the whole city on fire. But alright... to me, the pinnacle of characters doing completely nonsensical things just to create dramatic situations (the greatest hallmark of lazy writing, and apparently a theme throughout the series) was episode 3, which prompted me to write this.

First, when the PC Party (that's what it feels like, including deciding to work together for no reason at all right when they meet and then sticking together no matter what) escapes the church, they trip on a dead black kid. Okay, fits the narrative. Then they get to a gas station, a guy comes up on a car, he says he's looking for his son, it's the kid they found. Without ever discussing it among themselves, they all unanimously say they don't know him. Okay... maybe the others saw the Lead Character do it first and followed his lead, thinking he must've had a reason to lie. Yeah, I can buy that. But later, when the father is adamant that he can't lend them his car because it's low on gas and he gotta find his kid... well first, why not try to gas it up, seeing they're at a gas station? The lead guy said "I don't want to be out long enough [to see if the pumps work]" when they first arrived there, but by this point, the risk-to-benefit ratio is starting to lean toward filling up the car, especially since it's just a short dash to the door, and they've already hiked from the police station to the church and from the church to the gas station, it can't be that bad to be outside for a couple minutes. At least they could've discussed that a bit, rather than the aforementioned one line the lead character said early on being Completely Unquestionable. Then, they decide to tell him his kid's dead, he won't believe them, they argue, it turns into a confrontation where someone gets shot, they take his car at gunpoint because they need to get the victim to a hospital and he won't let them because he needs to go out and look for his son... all the while I'm yelling, "why not just drive him to where they found the kid?!?!"
That would completely negate the controversy and convince him the car can be used for other purposes! Lazy writing, because they need conflict.

Another example is when, at the mall, the dumb video-game store guys break the glass (let's not even mention that corpses thrown at the glass don't break it when that's not needed for dramatic reasons), and the mist fills up the bookstore. Alright so far. There are two girls inside, the Boss Guy (mall manager or whatever) says nobody can open the bookstore's doors because "then we all die", and they all heed his call. I mean... doors to the Mist have been opened several times, it's alright as long as they're closed quickly. Protagonist Mom whips out her gun at the slightest hint of a threat to her girl when that's needed for DRAMA, but when her daughter is stuck in a mist-filled room and Boss Guy says they can't even crack the door open long enough for someone to go in there to get them? All she can do is break down and cry. Then the younger, non-protagonist girl comes right up to the door, scared ****less, her mom right there screaming, and they don't let her out because "WE ALL DIE", and watch her get attacked horribly without doing anything... (BTW, they've literally never seen anything remotely like that mist creature - sure, it's presumably dangerous, but all it did was engulf her face and make her skin turn dark, and she fell down. They don't know she's dead, she could be just unconscious and able to be rescued for all they know. But no attempt is ever made to get her out, despite her being right next to the door.) Then Protagonist Girl, after apparently getting attacked out-of-sight, comes up to the door and... they open it to let her out. WHY NOT EXTEND THE SAME COURTESY TO THE LITTLE GIRL?!

Frankly, as a writer myself, I feel personally offended by this sort of not-even-bothering, half-assed writing. I try my best to plan the plot out beforehand so that it makes sense and everything clicks together, and along comes someone who doesn't give a **** and writes **** like this, and it gets put on TV? Okay, I don't really mean that, but still, it's ****ty, not-giving-a-**** writing nevertheless.

Whew... Guess I really needed to get that off my chest

[JadedDM]

I saw the movie version years back, and it was super depressing, so I decided to skip the show. Plus, I'm never a fan of stories where the main point seems to be that in times of crisis, humans will turn into complete monsters that wantonly kill each other.

Based on what you've said here, looks like I made the right choice in skipping it.

[Kitten Champion]

I saw the movie version years back, and it was super depressing, so I decided to skip the show. Plus, I'm never a fan of stories where the main point seems to be that in times of crisis, humans will turn into complete monsters that wantonly kill each other.

Based on what you've said here, looks like I made the right choice in skipping it.

I had similar feelings. Though it being depressing or ending on a horrific note didn't bother me as much, the shallow and predictable antagonists and some absurd decisions all around buried a fairly cool premise under them. Especially when it got around to the tropes about religious demagoguery that King likes.

Besides, I watched Under the Dome in its entirety and that was just the biggest avalanche of stupidity. My quota's filled, is what I'm saying.

What surprises me is them making The Mist a television series - even for Netflix - it's not really that long content-wise if I recall correctly.

[SirKazum]

What surprises me is them making The Mist a television series - even for Netflix - it's not really that long content-wise if I recall correctly.

That makes a lot of sense then (I haven't read the book), really explains how episodes drag on so much without anything really important happening.

[Kitten Champion]

That makes a lot of sense then (I haven't read the book), really explains how episodes drag on so much without anything really important happening.

It's just a novella, most of it is people in a small-town supermarket freaking out while monsters occasionally show up to menace them.

Though no monster is as monstrous as the true monsters, Man.

[JakiHere]

Anyone here watching/watched the Netflix adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist? I'm on my third episode so far and seriously considering giving it up. I mean, I love me some Stevie King, but media adaptations of his stuff are... uneven, let's say. Really hit or miss. And this one is looking to me more like a miss. Sure, it's kinda low-budget (which really shows in the special effects), the acting isn't exactly Emmy-level, and the pacing drags on way too much, most of the time you're like "yeah, we got it already, they're standing around and griping about their predicament, please show something interesting more than 10 seconds per episode", but to me the area where the Golden Raspberry really shines is the writing. It's just so, so lazy. For example...

Spoiler: Episode 3 spoilers

Show

To start off, minutes after the mist comes down, everyone's already in full Post-Apocalyptic Survival Mode. I mean, we know it's dangerous, but as far as characters are concerned at that point (especially ones who haven't been outside), it's just friggin' mist. Wait until they get an eclipse, they'll probably set the whole city on fire. But alright... to me, the pinnacle of characters doing completely nonsensical things just to create dramatic situations (the greatest hallmark of lazy writing, and apparently a theme throughout the series) was episode 3, which prompted me to write this.

First, when the PC Party (that's what it feels like, including deciding to work together for no reason at all right when they meet and then sticking together no matter what) escapes the church, they trip on a dead black kid. Okay, fits the narrative. Then they get to a gas station, a guy comes up on a car, he says he's looking for his son, it's the kid they found. Without ever discussing it among themselves, they all unanimously say they don't know him. Okay... maybe the others saw the Lead Character do it first and followed his lead, thinking he must've had a reason to lie. Yeah, I can buy that. But later, when the father is adamant that he can't lend them his car because it's low on gas and he gotta find his kid... well first, why not try to gas it up, seeing they're at a gas station? The lead guy said "I don't want to be out long enough [to see if the pumps work]" when they first arrived there, but by this point, the risk-to-benefit ratio is starting to lean toward filling up the car, especially since it's just a short dash to the door, and they've already hiked from the police station to the church and from the church to the gas station, it can't be that bad to be outside for a couple minutes. At least they could've discussed that a bit, rather than the aforementioned one line the lead character said early on being Completely Unquestionable. Then, they decide to tell him his kid's dead, he won't believe them, they argue, it turns into a confrontation where someone gets shot, they take his car at gunpoint because they need to get the victim to a hospital and he won't let them because he needs to go out and look for his son... all the while I'm yelling, "why not just drive him to where they found the kid?!?!"
That would completely negate the controversy and convince him the car can be used for other purposes! Lazy writing, because they need conflict.

Another example is when, at the mall, the dumb video-game store guys break the glass (let's not even mention that corpses thrown at the glass don't break it when that's not needed for dramatic reasons), and the mist fills up the bookstore. Alright so far. There are two girls inside, the Boss Guy (mall manager or whatever) says nobody can open the bookstore's doors because "then we all die", and they all heed his call. I mean... doors to the Mist have been opened several times, it's alright as long as they're closed quickly. Protagonist Mom whips out her gun at the slightest hint of a threat to her girl when that's needed for DRAMA, but when her daughter is stuck in a mist-filled room and Boss Guy says they can't even crack the door open long enough for someone to go in there to get them? All she can do is break down and cry. Then the younger, non-protagonist girl comes right up to the door, scared ****less, her mom right there screaming, and they don't let her out because "WE ALL DIE", and watch her get attacked horribly without doing anything... (BTW, they've literally never seen anything remotely like that mist creature - sure, it's presumably dangerous, but all it did was engulf her face and make her skin turn dark, and she fell down. They don't know she's dead, she could be just unconscious and able to be rescued for all they know. But no attempt is ever made to get her out, despite her being right next to the door.) Then Protagonist Girl, after apparently getting attacked out-of-sight, comes up to the door and... they open it to let her out. WHY NOT EXTEND THE SAME COURTESY TO THE LITTLE GIRL?!

Frankly, as a writer myself, I feel personally offended by this sort of not-even-bothering, half-assed writing. I try my best to plan the plot out beforehand so that it makes sense and everything clicks together, and along comes someone who doesn't give a **** and writes **** like this, and it gets put on TV? Okay, I don't really mean that, but still, it's ****ty, not-giving-a-**** writing nevertheless.

Whew... Guess I really needed to get that off my chest

I agree. no offense to the avid watchers but i think it didn't give much justice to the book. -.- i think christian grey's mom was a lot more convincing than netflix's version.

[SirKazum]

Since you brought the thread back up... I bit the bullet and watched the whole season. Some interesting things (in a "weird stuff" / terror sense) actually start happening around episode 7 or 8, don't remember well... which, of course, is too little, too late. Then on episode 9 (there are 10 total) there comes a BIG REVEEEEAL that clears up the main character-based plot (i.e. not about the actual mist), and it really pissed me off...

Spoiler: oooooo le big reveal

Show

Long story short, the main plot is that a 16-year-old girl goes to a party along with her gay friend, she gets date-raped, the popular jock is the main suspect, and the jock's own father (an ******* cop) believes he did it. Lots of commentary about how that's how those guys are, everyone's blaming the victim and calling her a liar, jock guy says he didn't do it but the girl's mom doesn't believe him because she knows *******s like him from her own youth, the girl begins to believe the jock's a good guy, hinting about a whole manipulative abuser angle, etc., and meanwhile, the weird-looking gay dude has an ******* father that hates his guts, and makes it abundantly clear that he hates him for being gay. Lots of very topical and interesting themes really. And then... it was the gay dude that raped the girl after all (WTF?!?) because he's a selfish psychopath who wanted her all for himself and was afraid the jock dude was getting in the way, so he framed him. The good-looking, traditional heartthrob jock who insists he's innocent really is innocent, because of course a good-looking young dude who looks innocent is going to be squeaky-clean, while the weird gay kid is the devil. Which he proceeds to prove beyond doubt by shooting his dad (who, it turns out, really hated him because he's a psycho, not because he's a homophobic *******) and the main character too. So they managed to take what might be potentially an interesting twist (the supposed culprit is innocent, the victim's best friend is guilty) and execute it in the most aggravating and insulting manner conceivable, completely ruining the whole plot. GAH.

...so, anyway, with the whole plot fully resolved and all loose ends (except for some dude's amnesia, which nobody gives a damn about, including both characters and viewers, until it's an excuse for him to dump his newfound companion BECAUSE CONFLICT) neatly tied, except of course for the mist that's still there and without explanation, it ends suddenly with a really lame cliffhanger as if to say "to be continued"... what the hell for?! They already gave us everything those characters and setting have to offer (in about 8 episodes too many), what the hell do they expect us to come back for? A bunch of annoying, uninteresting people that have nothing to do there anymore? Fresh plots brought to you by the laziest, hackest screenwriters this side of porn? Special effects that make SyFy originals look good? A couple hours' worth of story (and that's being generous) stretched out into 10 more 45-minute episodes? More boring filler? SIGN ME THE HELL UP. Of course, removed it it from my list so that it doesn't show up again in my recommendations, just in case the Universe is feeling malevolent enough and this crap actually gets a second season...

[Wookieetank]

On the bright side, at least Stranger Things S2 comes out soon, so there's that to look forward to.

I'm rather surprised they turned this into a TV series, particularly when the original movie was done rather well. To the point where King is on record wishing he had thought of the ending the screenwriters came up with. I'm kinda surprised King greenlit this after the monstrosity that was Under the Dome. I will give that Under the Dome TV started off strong, but went downhill so terribly quickly, which was quite disappointing as a fan of the book (gave me an excuse to go re-read the book though XD). It seems King's works translate best into movies or mini-series (if done right), just because the original is a doorstopper, doesn't mean the visual representation needs to be. Much as I want to be excited for the Dark Tower series in the works, past record does not bode well for it being worthwile

[Kitten Champion]

On the bright side, at least Stranger Things S2 comes out soon, so there's that to look forward to.

Plus I've heard that the It movie is pretty good, which is pleasantly surprising.

[Wookieetank]

Plus I've heard that the It movie is pretty good, which is pleasantly surprising.

This too, have several friend who are die hard fans of the original movie who were very impressed by the remake. Still need to get to see it myself though.

[Blackhawk748]

It's just a novella, most of it is people in a small-town supermarket freaking out while monsters occasionally show up to menace them.

Though no monster is as monstrous as the true monsters, Man.

You will never know the depth of my hatred for this trope. Seriously its so painfully overused i want to punch every wannabe edgy author who uses it from now on!

Ok im not really serious there, but that trope annoys me, as it feels like a cop out of writing a good monstrous creature. Also glad i didnt start watching The Mist, it sounds like crap.

[Kitten Champion]

You will never know the depth of my hatred for this trope. Seriously its so painfully overused i want to punch every wannabe edgy author who uses it from now on!

Ok im not really serious there, but that trope annoys me, as it feels like a cop out of writing a good monstrous creature. Also glad i didnt start watching The Mist, it sounds like crap.

The monster-monsters in The Mist are really quite cool. They're a litany of lifeforms from a truly alien dimension that have stumbled through a rend in the fabric of reality created by a military experiment, while the titular mist is their atmosphere seeping through. It was a big inspiration for Half-Life apparently.

It's just, the focus of the story is how their presence and the obscuring wall of mist creates an oppressive environment where people react hysterically and turn on one another. Which I think would be fine, a similar concept worked for Carpenter's The Thing - suffocating setting + insidious alien threat = paranoia and horror - if not for some of their characterizations moving into irredeemable caricature territory... and the Netflix series seems to triple-down on that, based on the above.

[Blackhawk748]

The monster-monsters in The Mist are really quite cool. They're a litany of lifeforms from a truly alien dimension that have stumbled through a rend in the fabric of reality created by a military experiment, while the titular mist is their atmosphere seeping through. It was a big inspiration for Half-Life apparently.

It's just, the focus of the story is how their presence and the obscuring wall of mist creates an oppressive environment where people react hysterically and turn on one another. Which I think would be fine, a similar concept worked for Carpenter's The Thing - suffocating setting + insidious alien threat = paranoia and horror - if not for some of their characterizations moving into irredeemable caricature territory... and the Netflix series seems to triple-down on that, based on the above.

Ya, i saw the movie and i thought it was ok, it just leaned way too heavily on that trope for my liking

[JoshL]

Plus I've heard that the It movie is pretty good, which is pleasantly surprising.

I loved the new IT. I am a huge Tim Curry fan, but other than him, the original tv movie doesn't hold up very well. I do have some hope for The Dark Tower series. Elba is amazing as Roland, and the movie was very fun...just not a good adaptation of the books. They tried to cram way too much in to it and gave it a stereotypical hollywood "satisfying" ending. But as a tv show, agan, the cast was great and if they have more room to explore the universe at an appropriate pace, that could work out well. It's a complex and deep series and world.

....unlike The Mist, which is a short novella with only one thing to say. I thought it made a great film. I don't understand who thought it needed to be a series.