Initially, I could not say that I even had this movie on my Blockbuster Online List, but when my neighbor offered to loan it to us the other day, I took the chance and gave it a try. Both my wife and I are happy we did.

As the movie began, I immediately recognized the characters as people I might encounter on a stroll through my own rural Maine town on an average summer day. We have our "locals" and our out of towners, just like in the movie. I also recognized Stephen King's penchance for putting ordinary folks in harm's way. This is what he does best.

Through the beginning scenes of the movie I appreciated the way the film frightened, the building of anticipation until it had gelled into a mild sort of anxiety at every turn. It was nice to see the makers of the film put the effort into making the creatures themselves terrifying however, instead of spending half the movie trying to explain them, thus lending them that weird film sort of false legitimacy. Thus, the supernatural portion of the movie accomplished its objectives.

The most fascinating aspect of the movie for me was how the characters evolved socially. Only once did it get a little bit preachy about what it was trying to say, and otherwise left the audience to draw its own conclusions. (When you see the giant flying bug have it's encounter with the radical bible-pounding mamma that's trying to brainwash the grocery market crew, you'll know what I'm talking about.)

I enjoyed watching David Drayton (Thomas Jane, The Punisher) and his son Billy, along with cohorts, attempt to walk the fine line between the evil, both human and not, through the final stages of the movie.

The front cover of the movie quotes Pete Hammond of Maxim as saying "A Masterpiece! One of the most shocking movie endings ever!" And I have to agree. I fancy myself a bit of a writer, and often dream up endings, beginnings and the like. I don't know if I ever would have dreamed up this ending, or if I just would never have dared to put it on paper! We sat in front of the television for a solid forty-five seconds of silence at the end of this film, and the conclusion will remain with me for a very long time. A very, very long time.

The acting was good too.

And let me make one final statement. If, after watching this film the ending sticks with you and you find yourself suddenly wanting to hold your children or find yourself crying your way toward sleep at night, go pick up a copy of "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. It might restore your faith in mankind a little bit. Or it will just drive you toward insanity.

Four thumbs up! And all my remaining fingers too!