The Thing (1982) Review
- Viktoria
- May 26
- 4 min read
Director: John Carpenter
Year of release: 1982
Country of origin: United States
Spoiler status: Light spoilers
Genre: Psychological horror
The Thing is one of the most iconic psychological sci-fi horror movies ever created. Its monsters might be a bit ridiculous for today's standards, but I would've loved to see them back when the movie first came out. I bet it was an amazing experience to see something like that on the big screens. In comparison with some other monster-like creatures in other horror movies (let's take Fright Night, for example), the weird morphing forms of The Thing were actually somewhat lifelike.
This horror movie is one of those classics you don't have to watch to know everything about it. I've seen so many memes and read so many articles on this topic, I had a feeling I had already watched the movie before I even pressed play. Am I sorry for spoiling it for myself? No. All of those spoilers only increased my curiosity and excitement.
If you're in a similar situation and can't decide if you should watch this iconic horror movie, let me help you. The Thing is a must-watch. Keep on reading to find out why!
The plot of The Thing
This psychological sci-fi horror takes us into the slow-burn world of paranoia. The story introduces us to a research team in Antarctica. At first, everything seems calm and normal, but after the team comes across an alien organism, all hell breaks loose. Imagine a world where you can't trust your senses or your knowledge. You look at someone, and they look and sound exactly how they should. Then you try to figure out if they are acting weird or different, but they seem to be just as freaked out as you are. Absolutely acceptable behavior for this kind of situation. You don't know who to trust or how to solve this crisis. Imagine not being able to relax, not even for a second, because you have no idea which of your colleagues is coming after you, or when. This is where the genius of The Thing hides. It takes the paranoia that lives in each of us, no matter how small, and amps it up to a hundred. While watching the movie, I was constantly questioning not only the characters, but also my theories and thought processes. The movie does a great job at pulling you into its twisted, paranoid world and keeping you there until the credits roll.
Is The Thing actually scary?
This horror movie is definitely scary, but not in the traditional sense you're used to. It creeps inside your mind slowly, then gradually grows into a full-blown, dreadful paranoia. To me, there's nothing more terrifying than not being able to trust the people I'm forced to bunk with. Add a scary, slimy, shapeshifting alien to the mix, and you have the perfect formula for an eerie, slow-burn horror. I must admit, there were definitely moments that had me screaming, but not out of terror. The creature designs, especially the dog bursting in Demogorgon style, were especially hilarious to me for some reason. The alien's appearances are definitely outdated for today's standards, at times making it a bit hard to focus on the terror that's unfolding on the screen. Does that mean that the movie is bad? Absolutely not. The silly-looking creatures only add to the movie's charm, making it an even better experience than originally anticipated. There's not a single thing I would change about The Thing.
How does the alien in The Thing work?
As a shapeshifting cosmic parasite, The Thing can take the form of anything it consumes. This ancient being ended up on Earth roughly 100,000 years ago, crash-landing and getting stuck here. Layers of ice slowly covered its ship over millennia, burying it deep beneath the surface. The creature survived in this cryogenically frozen state, allowing the Norwegian research team to find and accidentally revive it after all that time. Its main goal was survival by assimilation, after which it would be able to reach populated areas where it could multiply.
This organism is very clever. It realized that people love and trust dogs, so to survive, it took the shape of one. When you see someone shooting at a random person, the first thing that crosses your mind is "Cool, there's action in this movie", while if you see someone shooting at a dog, you're more likely to think "What an absolute psycho". It made absolute sense to take this shape, because dogs are our faithful companions. Who would suspect one of being a shapeshifting killer monster?
Is The Thing good?
If I haven't said it enough times already, this movie is amazing. There's not a shadow of a doubt in my mind about its iconic status. It has everything from dread and tension to mystery; it simply tickles all the right corners of your mind. I also have to mention that even though it's a slow-burn horror movie, it never has a boring moment. Usually, when I watch slow-paced horror, it doesn't take long for me to grab my phone and start scrolling, turning the movie I'm watching into background noise. This never happened here. The Thing grabbed my attention from the first second and held it tight until the very last frame. I haven't watched something this entertaining in a very long time, so I would like to take this chance and thank my past self for FINALLY deciding to watch this gem.
Rating: 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
I don't think this rating needs further explanation. It's a staple of the horror genre for a reason. It's entertaining, scary, and unintentionally funny. It's a must-watch for all who claim to be horror fans.
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