What's it about? After a thunderstorm knocks out the power in a small town, a group of residents meet up in a supermarket to gather supplies. As they stock up on essentials, a thick mist descends in which human-devouring monsters lurk, trapping the townsfolk inside the building. How does it end? Attempting to flee the supermarket, David (Thomas Jane) leads four others to his car and sets off, but when they run out of petrol he turns his gun on the other passengers and kills them to spare them a fate at the tentacles of the monsters. Moments later the army arrives, killing the monsters that surround the car and saving David's life. Why was it controversial? Aside from changing the ending from Stephen King's original novella (a move King was happy with) it was just too downbeat for some audiences. It's certainly a dark punch in the guts, but this is horror - fans of the genre on the whole were grateful that director Frank Darabont got his way and wasn't forced to tack on a predictable happy ending.
