In the Electric Mist

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bertrand Tavernier directs. Bruno de Keyzer behind the camera. Marco Beltrami scores. Larry Madaras cuts. Produced in France, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 17 years ago.
• 2International production across 2 countries: France, United States of America.
• 3Directed by Bertrand Tavernier, shot by Bruno de Keyzer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Marco Beltrami. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Larry Madaras shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman and Peter Sarsgaard carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "NO ONE CAN ESCAPE THE SINS OF THE PAST".
• 8IMDB entry: tt0910905 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Bruno de Keyzer

Original score

Marco Beltrami

Editing

Larry Madaras

Production design

Merideth Boswell

Costume design

Kathy Kiatta

Makeup / hair

Allison Gordin

VFX supervisor

David Sosalla

Sound

Tim LeBlanc

Runtime

117 min · 1h 57m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

In the Electric Mist (2009) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

54% 🥫 Rotten

IMDB rating

6.1/10 · 20,521 votes

MPAA

R

Also by

Bertrand Tavernier

• 
  Philippe Soupault et le surréalisme

  1984 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Journeys Through French Cinema

  2017 · ★ 8.5
• 
  The Undeclared War

  1992 · ★ 8.3
• 
  Histoires de vies brisées: les 'double peine' de Lyon

  2001 · ★ 8.0
• 
  The Other Side of the Tracks

  1997 · ★ 8.0
• 
  My Journey Through French Cinema

  2016 · ★ 7.6

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  In The Electric Mist Trailer - In The Electric Mist Movie Trailer

  Trailer

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Andres Gomez2014-06-16
  ★ 5/10

  Tommy Lee Jones performance is superb and the Southern US atmosphere is really genuine but the story is just made overcomplicated and disappointing.

  Read full review ↓
• Kenneth Axel Carlsson2014-12-31
  ★ 7.5/10

  A woman is found murdered in the swamp somewhere in the south. A brutal murder, quite possibly a serial killer. A policeman is investigating, and while he does that, another body is found, but this one nothing but bones. This guy (a black guy) was killed 40 years ago, and the policeman suddenly remembers that he saw this murder happening when he was a kid. There doesn't seem to be any sort of connection between the murders, except the man investigating both of them. Tommy Lee Jones plays the old cop who investigates the murders in the swamp. He is a man fighting his own demons, meaning mostly alcohol, but clearly the death of this black guy has also haunted him for 40 years. He wants justice to be served, but is not willing to do whatever it takes, at least not in the beginning. This movie is not the most exciting crime movie out there. One thing that makes it stand out from most of them, though, is that it doesn't want to trick us. From the beginning, we know where the plot is going, we just need to follow it all the way to the end and see the ends being tied together. The story is ok, solid, but what really makes this thriller different is the characters and the pace. It is not afraid to slow down the pace and gives us a look into the people who live here, and those visiting. I especially liked the element introduced with Elrod Sykes and Kelly Drummond, two movie stars down here shooting a movie. By the way, it is Elrod who finds the old bones while taking a piss. The confrontations between a drunken Elrod and a sober Dave (the cop), are brilliant and really gives this movie a lot of heart. I also want to mention the music in this movie. It is there, but doesn't overshadow the images and plot, and most importantly, it has a very unique rhythm, like a beating heart, that drives us forward together with Dave Robicheaux. You notice it, but you don't notice it, if you know what I mean. Brilliant. Last words... don't expect this movie to offer you gore and violence. Sure, people die, but you never actually see any sickly images. That's not the story it wants to tell, it wants to give you an insight into a man, a man that isn't so different from you and I.

  Read full review ↓
• Wuchak2023-10-05
  ★ 6/10

  Tommy Lee Jones as a tough sleuth in the bayous of the Deep South A no-nonsense detective in the heart of Louisiana (Jones) tries to stay away from alcohol as he investigates the murder of a young prostitute, as well as a murder from the mid-60s of a black man in the swamp. John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Mary Steenburgen and Ned Beatty appear in secondary roles. Based on the 1993 book, “In the Electric Mist” (2009) is a detective drama/thriller with a Southern Gothic milieu. Imagine “U.S. Marshals” if it were set in the Deep South, like “No Mercy,” "Cape Fear" or “The General’s Daughter.” The details of the book are absent so you have to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but I loved the bayou atmosphere even though some of the peripheral actors seem like they memorized their lines 15 minutes before their scenes were shot. The movie runs 1 hour, 57 minutes, and was shot New Iberia, Louisiana, which is 15 miles southeast of Lafayette and 130 miles west of New Orleans. Areas nearby were also used, including Catahoula, Albania Plantation in Jeanerette, St. Martinville and Charenton. GRADE: B-

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• LI

  Little Bear

  FR

• IT

  Ithaca Pictures

  US

• TF

  TF1 International

  FR

Key crew

• CastingLisa Mae Fincannon
• ProducerDeborah Dobson Bach
• ProducerMichael Fitzgerald
• Production DesignMerideth Boswell
• Executive ProducerPenelope Glass
• Executive ProducerGulnara Sarsenova
• NovelJames Lee Burke
• EditorLarry Madaras
• EditorThierry Derocles
• EditorRoberto Silvi
• CastingJeanne McCarthy
• ProducerFrédéric Bourboulon
• Digital Intermediate ProducerCindy Bond
• Art Department CoordinatorSara L. Holman
• SeamstressMarcia Evers
• Steadicam OperatorChris Squires
• Visual Effects CoordinatorAlicia Johnson
• Art DirectionKelly Curley
• Set CostumerCaryn Frankenfield
• Rigging GripJames Trapper McEvoy
• Costume DesignKathy Kiatta
• Rigging GripWells A. Smith
• Special Effects CoordinatorStephen Bourgeois
• Makeup ArtistAllison Gordin

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• detective inspector
• bayou
• series of murders
• confederate soldier

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2009-02-18R· New Iberia, Louisiana
• Physical2009-03-03· DVD

Also known as

International titles

• En el Centro de la TormentaES
• Mord in LouisianaDE
• Az elektromos ködbenHU
• Dans la brume électriqueFR
• エレクトリック・ミスト 霧の捜査線JP
• In the Electric Mist - Nell'occhio del cicloneIT