The Fog

The excellent, thrilling intro is followed by a prelude with the unraveling of the mystery. And the closer we get to the denouement and the climax, the less fear we feel. The Fog is very nicely shot in widescreen, has atmosphere and decent music by Carpenter himself, but the story lacks the mystery of Halloween and The Thing. WHO THEY ARE and WHY THEY KILL should have only been hinted at, not served to us in the form of a nonsensical fairy tale. (18/08/2003)

I watched again after some years and I have to add a star. The script is pretty tragic, but the atmosphere is thicker than the fog itself :) (22/01/2012)

In the dense fog so thick it could be cut, the shadowy figures walked by. Given that John Carpenter directed the film at a time when he truly excelled, it was enjoyable to watch. Like most of his films, Carpenter built The Fog on atmosphere and suspense. The simple plot (excellently introduced through an old sailor) is told in less than ninety minutes and doesn't lack anything that a proper good old "B" horror should have. The lack of character psychology is compensated by their diversity, and also by the uncertainty of who will be next and how many more are yet to come. Certainly, for some characters, survival can be predicted based on certain audience sympathies, while for others, the leper-like sailors might disappoint in their choices because, in such a quantity of characters, some would undoubtedly deserve to die more. Indeed, when you see the rolling fog with figures slowly walking, carrying a hook in their hand, you forget even the basic bodily needs to sustain life, such as a heartbeat or breathing. And because I felt so "comfortable" with the film, I'll throw in a fifth (though admittedly undeserved) star. (30/09/2005)

Of course, the special effects used in this film have significantly aged and the theme is downright outdated, as if from the 1920s. However, Carpenter is a master of B-movie horror and can make the most out of very little. The film has atmosphere, and there are more jumpscares and tension-inducing scenes than in contemporary horror films filled with digital effects and that have decent budgets. A job well done, overall impression: 60%. (07/05/2009)

Awesome horror - how little you need, right? Carpenter made do with fog that could be cut with a saber, six undead sailors, minimalist music... And with a talent for building tremendous tension. What happens during the opening credits is powerful, but the rest of the film doesn't particularly lag behind either. What I like most about The Fog, though, is its tone, because at the end everyone can be satisfied - the people of Antonio Bay and Blake's sailors. It's up to you who you cheer for.__P.S. I loved the last shot. (04/08/2012)

Exactly the kind of horror I always welcome. The tension is so thick you could cut it, with mysterious characters appearing in an impenetrable and unstoppable fog, and a perfectly chosen score – simply John Carpenter at the peak of his game, having a proper and solid warm-up before the legendary The Thing. The story is nothing to write home about, but the disturbing aroma advancing together with the frightening fog cloud makes up for everything several times over :-) A horror classic that definitely deserves due respect... (05/10/2012)