The Mist’s Film Ending: Stephen King’s Bleakest Twist

When Stephen King penned his novel The Mist, he left readers with a glimmer of hope, a faint suggestion that survival might be possible. The 2007 film adaptation, however, offered no such comfort. Instead, it delivered a conclusion so unrelentingly grim that it has haunted viewers ever since.

From Page to Screen: A Shift in Tone

King has often voiced his reservations about cinematic versions of his work, but he made an exception for Frank Darabont’s take on The Mist. The director’s decision to veer away from the book’s ending was, in King’s own words, “so anti-Hollywood — anti-everything, really! It was nihilistic. I liked that.”

Rather than following the survivors as they disappear into the fog, clinging to the possibility of sanctuary, Darabont’s film presents a far bleaker scenario. David, the protagonist, and his small group of companions spend days adrift in the mist, hope gradually eroding. Eventually, despair takes hold. With the group’s consent, David ends their lives, including that of his own son, believing it a mercy in the face of certain doom.

Despair and Irony: The Film’s Unforgiving Climax

Moments after the deed is done, David steps from the car, expecting to meet his end at the hands of the lurking creatures. Instead, he is met by the military, emerging from the haze, signalling that the threat has been neutralised. The realisation is crushing: had they waited just a little longer, salvation would have arrived. David is left alone, consumed by guilt and the knowledge that his actions were tragically premature.

This ending, so starkly at odds with the original story, left audiences stunned. The sense of futility and loss lingers, a testament to the power of a narrative willing to defy convention.

Behind the Scenes: Alternate Visions

The film’s opening, too, nearly took a different path. Darabont initially considered depicting a military laboratory accident as the source of the mist. During a dinner with cast member Andre Braugher, the director was persuaded to abandon the idea, realising it would likely be excised in editing. Instead, the story begins with a storm and the Drayton family’s ill-fated trip to the supermarket, where the true horror unfolds.

This choice to leave the origins of the mist ambiguous only adds to the film’s unsettling atmosphere, keeping viewers as disoriented as the characters themselves.

Two Adaptations, One Lasting Impression

While the 2007 film remains the definitive adaptation for many, a television series based on The Mist appeared in 2017. Hopes for a more satisfying resolution were dashed, however, as the series concluded without clear answers. In its final moments, the military arrives not as saviours, but as orchestrators of a grim experiment, feeding the monstrous threat rather than ending it.

For all its attempts, the series failed to capture the raw emotional impact of Darabont’s film. The 2007 adaptation’s ending, with its devastating twist, continues to stand out as one of the most uncompromising in modern cinema.