As thrilling as Mike Flanagan’s new Stephen King film adaptation could appear, it already has an enormous Lovecraftian problem to beat.
Mike Flanagan already appears to have quite a few Stephen King diversifications lined up, with one, Carrie, scheduled to premiere later this 12 months. The director is now set to helm the film adaptation of one other Stephen King story, which has already been given the large and small display screen therapy.
Whereas it’s debatable whether or not the story deserves one other film adaptation, it already appears to be Flanagan’s most difficult undertaking so far. It forces him to dabble in Lovecraftian territory, which is usually onerous to execute in live-action storytelling.
Mike Flanagan’s The Mist Will Be His First Mainstream Lovecraftian Undertaking
Mike Flanagan made his function movie directorial debut with 2011’s Absentia, which arguably had some cosmic horror components. Nonetheless, after that, he primarily dabbled with horror film and TV initiatives that had little to no Lovecraftian components. As experiences affirm, Flanagan is now adapting Stephen King’s The Mist, which is usually touted as one of the Lovecraftian tales written by the creator.
By obscuring the character of the titular mist and the horrifying terrors it holds, each the e-book and its 2007 film adaptation completely painting the “concern of the unknown” that defines H.P. Lovecraft’s tales.
Even the enormous monsters within the 2007 film appear to be impressed by Lovecraftian mythos. The movie additionally completely captures the fragility of human sanity by exhibiting how even its courageous and morally righteous protagonist finally fails and resorts to excessive violence upon realizing how insignificant he’s in opposition to the vastness of the universe.
Whereas solely time will inform whether or not Mike Flanagan’s tackle the Stephen King story can be as hard-hitting because the 2007 film, it’s onerous to not be a bit of involved in regards to the undertaking.
Flanagan’s Take On Stephen King’s The Mist Can’t Danger Being Related To The 2007 Film
Frank Darabont’s The Mist is a nearly-perfect Stephen King adaptation, which explains why it has an enormous cult following. And as dangerous as it might appear, the film’s ending couldn’t have been any higher as a result of it offers it a wonderfully Lovecraftian edge. Since The Mist has already been accomplished so properly earlier than, Mike Flanagan’s upcoming adaptation of the identical already faces an uphill battle.
Darabont set an nearly impossibly excessive bar along with his portrayal of the unique story’s Lovecraftian facets. Getting Lovecraftian horror proper on the display screen is anyway a difficult feat, however Flanagan additionally faces the added stress of reinterpreting materials that many followers think about definitive.
Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of The Mist can’t threat being too just like Darabont’s model. On the similar time, although, if it drifts too removed from it and turns it right into a extra optimistic story about humanity’s resilience or inherent goodness, it could threat diminishing the cosmic horror components that make the unique story so haunting.
Hopefully, Mike Flanagan will discover a option to give his tackle Stephen King‘s The Mist its personal identification with out diluting its existential weight and Lovecraftian undertones.
The Mist
8/10
- Launch Date
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November 21, 2007