History Main / MysteriousMist

Compare EmpathicEnvironment, and the more sinister version of Mist OminousFog; also SmokeOut. Contrast FogOfDoom where the fog itself is actively dangerous, and SuperSmoke. May be used to provide FogOfWar. When in England or London, see AFoggyDayInLondonTown.

* ''Franchise/SilentHill'': All of the towns are enveloped with thick fog. It's not certain if said fog does anything, but given that it's, well, ''[[MindScrew Silent Hill]]''... the mist originates as a practical solution to a hardware problem in the first game; the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation didn't have the power to adequately render a whole town, so the developers filled it with mist to facilitate this. The effect proved so chilling that it was maintained even when more powerful systems became available.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': After Lestat de Lioncourt is [[LoveAtFirstSight struck by Cupid's arrow]] when he first beholds Louis de Pointe du Lac, a mist abruptly appears behind him with an audible whooshing sound. This shot is imbued with a mildly ominous atmosphere, and it imparts to viewers (especially those who aren't familiar with either the [[Literature/TheVampireChronicles source material]] or the [[Film/InterviewWithTheVampire 1994 movie]]) that this MysteriousStranger (Lestat's identity isn't spelled out in this scene) isn't human and is dangerous.

The presence of Mysterious Mist is a sign that there is something magical or supernatural about a certain place at that time. The mist itself is neutral, the type of magical or supernatural event swinging it one way or the other. It comes in a couple of forms.

Most common, is appearing with some form of magical or supernatural event. This is frequently the opening of a portal or gateway between our world and another, with or without the appearance of a being of that world. In this case, the mist is most often merely a by-product of the magic used.

Sometimes, rather than being influenced by magic, it is naturally occurring mist that is emphasised to add to the atmosphere of a scene. It is not connected to magic itself, but tells the viewer (and the occasional GenreSavvy character) that it is a suitable time and location for something supernatural to occur. This is most frequently found in locations such as graveyards. On rare occasions, this type of mist will apply even if there is no actual magic or supernatural events involved; in this case it will be as though magic were used (ie. TheCavalry appearing out of the mist at the crucial moment).

* In the BBC's production of ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles'', Holmes, Watson and Lestrade are waiting for the titular hound to be released when a fog rises, obscuring their vision of the area. The mist is natural (the story does take place in England), but since the creature they're waiting for has a long and mysterious past associated with it, the mist not only presents a practical problem, it also adds to the tension of the moment. This is also the first time the creature will be clearly seen (an earlier appearance engineered by the villain was very brief and intended to instil fear in the viewers), so the impending revelation adds to the emotional weight of the moment.

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