The Thing (1982) Movie Review

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The Thing – ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – T – The Thing – Movie Review

Director: John Carpenter

Writer: Bill Lancaster (Screenplay)

Writer: John W Campbell Jr (Story)

Cast

Kurt Russell (Escape from New York)
Wilford Brimley (Cocoon)
Keith David (They Live)
Richard Masur (Risky Business)
T.K. Carter (Runaway Train)

Plot: A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Thing starts when a small remote Antarctica research team get an unexpected visit from their Norwegian neighbours. Chasing a dog through the snow, the American team stop the dangerous-looking visitor. MacReady (Russell) leads a team to their camp discovering nobody there.

The team looks to regroup to decide what to do next when the dog they left in the camp unleashes a secret. Dr Blair (Brimley) discovers the dogs are trying to morph into another one, consuming them. Unsure about whom to trust, the crew looks to find a solution before they can head home. However, the changes spread through their own camp at an alarming rate.

Verdict on The Thing

The Thing is a sci-fi horror classic that has become one of the most popular movies of all time. It uses the remote base and mystery of the morphing creature to build tension between the crew. There is constant doubt about whom they can trust and each scene becomes a battle to see who can be trusted.

The practical effects are still breathtakingly scary to watch. From the sudden open chest that rips off the arms to the small creatures that are caught in the middle of a transformation. There is no doubt that this is by far one of the greatest movies ever made, despite the lacklustre prequel, this remains the very best.

Final Thoughts – The Thing is the definition of a masterpiece within the genre.