The Fog (1980)

JOHN CARPENTER

THE FOG

USA, 1980

7.5/10

"I don't know what happened to Antonio Bay tonight. Something came out of the fog and tried to destroy us. In one moment, it vanished. But if this has been anything but a nightmare, and if we don't wake up to find ourselves safe in our beds, it could come again. To the ships at sea who can hear my voice, look across the water, into the darkness. Look for the fog."

This is not John Carpenter's best film in any sense (HALLOWEEN (1978) and THE THING (1982) taking the cake on that title), but THE FOG (1980) is a still a creepy, atmospheric, supernatural horror film that holds up to this day. Carpenter does once again what he was able to do with HALLOWEEN: take a film with a rather small budget (though THE FOG had a larger budget than HALLOWEEN, it was still rather cheap) and give it the appearance of costing a lot more than it did. While the film made 22 million dollars (which is good considering its budget of 1 million), it is not as impressive as the 47 million HALLOWEEN made. Still, I believe THE FOG to be a wonderful film for what it sets out to be: a small, atmospheric film, relying more on the tone of the film than any impressive special effects. This is why Carpenter is my favorite horror director. Sure, his plots are never life changing, and besides THE THING, his films are never filled with spectacular effects, but he manages to create wonderfully atmospheric films and has proved to be the best when it comes to slowly building tension.

And this film is no exception. From the opening scene on the beach to the final shot, this film kept me on the edge of my seat, although I believe the film really takes off when Father Malone reads from the journal he finds. 

We never clearly see the creatures in the fog, which I believe adds to their threat. Their glowing eyes, hooks, and large, threatening bodies help their mystery. The fog they enter through in, though its glow is incredibly unrealistic and fake-looking, it is still quite eerie and allows for a lot of tension. 

Overall, the character development and plot is missing in this film, but it's still creepy, atmospheric, and a personal favorite. If you forgive its mistakes, you will be in for a nice, fun, creepy film.