The Fog

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The Fog

R

1980

1h 29m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Strange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.

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Critics Consensus

A well-crafted return to horror for genre giant John Carpenter, The Fog rolls in and wraps viewers in suitably slow-building chills.

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

Jan 30, 2020

Unlike Halloween, which was a model of straight-forward terror and carefully controlled suspense, The Fog is constructed of random diversions.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Jan 29, 2020

It's a failure, but it's a failure in the right direction.

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Will Lawrence

Empire Magazine

Jan 29, 2020

4/5

Ghoulish, tense and utterly fantastical, John Carpenter's tale of shipwrecked spectres squelching their way through a fluorescent fog to wreak vengeance on a seaside town is a classic campfire yarn.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

5 days ago

None of this is sensational filmmaking, but it is solid genre entertainment. The Fog is a smart enough film to get in, throw a few scares at the audience, and get out again.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 16, 2026

3/4

Unpretentious genre fun, stylishly assembled and populated with colorful characters.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 7, 2026

Anyone who has ever thrilled to a ghost story will have a fine, scary time with "The Fog."

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Antonio O

Oct 16, 2022

A true classic that relies on a good story and score rather than CGI and gratuitous gore.

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 16 hrs ago

The Fog is perhaps a little lacking in story. The final act has some feeble dialogue and things become a bit too contrived. That being said, the beginning of the movie is masterful. The first night, with all its eerie occurrences, this sequence demonstrates that a horror movie master is at the helm. Even in the clumsy finale it is still fairly replete with cool imagery. Carpenter's spare dialogue, and his superb music, do much to keep us invested, even after the drama risks degenerating into farce. There's also that wonderful California coastal scenery. Beautiful.

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paula S

@pwsweat921 6 days ago

I saw fog rolling onto the beach yesterday

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

This is a 3.5 Star Movie

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Wyatt F

@RT17845314 Jul 31, 2026

A creepy and unsettling movie with great atmosphere, plus it’s a solid horror movie for younger teens since it isn’t too disturbing or gory.

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller Jul 29, 2026

6.7/10 Horror movie 1980 creator of Michael Myers Halloween series John Carpenter. Jamie Lee Curtis is in it Small coastal creepy California town is overcome by a fog that’s haunted by pirates

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Synopsis

Strange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.

Director: John Carpenter
Producer: Debra Hill
Screenwriter: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Distributor: RCA/Columbia, AVCO Embassy Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 8, 1980, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2018
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $69.5K
Runtime: 1h 29m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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