The Mist (2025) marks a bold reimagining of Stephen King’s classic short story, this time with a modern psychological edge and a riveting performance from Selena Gomez in her most mature and haunting role to date. Directed by rising horror auteur Lucia Ortega, this standalone sequel expands on the terrifying world of the original while pushing into more intimate, character-driven horror.
Set nearly two decades after the deadly events in Bridgton, Maine, the film follows Dr. Elena Ramos (Selena Gomez), a trauma psychologist returning to her childhood town to care for her estranged father, who is suffering from dementia. But the town has changed. Mysterious disappearances and unnatural fog sightings stir memories long buried, and soon Elena finds herself at the heart of a new wave of horrors—this time more cerebral and suffocating than ever.
Where the original story leaned heavily into creature horror and survival panic, The Mist (2025) is more restrained—deliberately slow-burning, almost arthouse in its psychological pacing. The mist itself becomes a metaphor for memory loss, grief, and suppressed trauma. Ortega wisely avoids replicating the 2007 film’s relentless nihilism, instead crafting a more meditative experience. Still, moments of terror arrive without warning, blending practical effects with chilling sound design. The fog is back, but what it brings this time is... something weirder.
Selena Gomez delivers a surprisingly layered performance—fragile yet resolute. She portrays Elena as someone frayed by internal conflict, uncertain whether the mist is real or a manifestation of inherited madness. Supporting performances by Walton Goggins as the town's paranoid sheriff and Shohreh Aghdashloo as Elena’s former mentor add gravitas to the eerie small-town dynamic.
Critics have praised the film for its atmosphere, though it has divided audiences expecting traditional horror thrills. The film does not seek to answer all the questions it raises—and that ambiguity becomes its strength. It’s a horror film that dares to whisper instead of scream.
Although no sequel has been officially announced as of July 2025, the final scene of The Mist (2025) strongly hints at a continuation. Elena, after escaping the misty town, discovers that the phenomena are not isolated. Her final words—"It’s spreading"—suggest the mist is part of something much larger, possibly an interdimensional awakening.
In The Mist 2 – Ashes of the Forgotten, fans speculate that Selena Gomez will return, now as a public advocate or researcher trying to stop the mist from engulfing more regions. The sequel could introduce new survivors from other affected areas, forming a coalition against what might be revealed as a sentient force, or a long-dormant cosmic intelligence trying to reclaim Earth.
Expect more mystery, expanded mythology, and possibly a larger budget—ideal for unleashing even more psychological and visual terror.
