The Thing (1982) Movie Review - 31 Days of Halloween 2024
Welcome to Knockout Horror. It’s Halloween and that can mean only one thing. We are down to the last day of our 2024 31 Days of Halloween feature. I always wrap these features up with a classic movie review. In 2022 it was Rosemary’s Baby, in 2023 it was the 1978 classic Halloween. And in 2024 we have another John Carpenter directed horror movie marvel – The Thing, from 1982.
Based on the John W. Campbell novella Who Goes There and following in the footsteps of the 1951 black and white horror movie The Thing From Another Planet. The Thing follows the story of a group of men in an arctic research station finding themselves at the mercy of a relentless alien creature who can mimic forms. After rescuing a dog from a Norwegian person attempting to shoot it. The men notice that something strange is afoot when members of the group start dying and others begin acting abnormally. When they realise that something has infiltrated them and can copy their forms perfectly, the men become wildly suspicious of each other. Placing each of them in a fight for their very lives.
The Best of the Best?
1982 was a fantastic year for horror movies, well, at least where volume is concerned. Some might even consider it to be the best in horror history. Sure, it took awhile for many of the movies released that year to gain critical approval. And many of the releases benefit greatly from a ton of modern reappraisal by rather overenthusiastic, rose tinted glasses wearing, critics. But it is hard to deny just how important of a year 1982 was for horror.
Creepshow, Slumber Party Massacre, Friday the 13th Part 3 (where Jason finally got his iconic mask), Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (a well loved cult classic in modern times). The House on Sorority Row, Amityville 2, Basketcase, Swamp Thing, Poltergeist. Horror has never been quite as welcome in the world of entertainment as it was in 1982. I don’t think it has ever been quite as busty, as well. Have you seen the covers for the movies released that year? I would love to know an exposed nipple count for all the horror released that year. It’s got to be in the hundreds.
Anyways, I digress. Looking back, some of these movies haven’t held up so well. All of the Friday the 13th movies suck, Season of the Witch is hideously overrated, a ton of these releases are well below average, even for the time, and many are simply quite poor. Only a few have seriously held up in the grand scheme of horror. Two of the most noteworthy are Poltergeist and the movie we are looking at today – The Thing. I think it is fair to say that The Thing is the only movie released that year that bears mention when it comes to the conversation of greatest horror movie of all time.
It Wasn’t Always That Way
Despite how The Thing is viewed through modern eyes as being, rightfully, one of the best horror movies ever made. It was panned on release. Seen as being without merit outside of the grotesque creature designs courtesy of Rob Bottin that ate up 10% of the budget. It was said to be unimaginative and rather boring. With its bleak and hopeless story feeling ill fitting of a time when the world was suffering from recession and a general sense of malaise. On top of that, Carpenter couldn’t shake the comparisons to similar movies like Alien. People considered his work to be derivative and thoroughly unoriginal.
Against a backdrop of brilliant science fiction movies like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Blade Runner. A pair of titles that dominated the 1982 summer box office, with Blade Runner releasing on the same day. The Thing was considered to be a dreary and, ultimately, negative portrayal of a sad world at the mercy of ice and violence. It was so bad that John Carpenter even lost work, being replaced as director of upcoming science fiction movie Firestarter. Universal even bought him out of his multi-film contract rather than choose to feature him in a directorial role. The world wasn’t ready for The Thing but it would get there in the coming years.
One of the Best Horror Movies Ever
It’s hard to imagine this being the case nowadays when The Thing is frequently cited as one of the best horror movies ever. It is currently afforded an 8.2/10 user score on IMDB and a 7.2 critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is frequently cited in “Best Horror Ever” lists and even receives recognition in lists of the “Best Movies Ever”. It’s a huge turnaround but the damage was done to Carpenter. He still considers this to be his favourite movie that he directed but following up with Christine and Big Trouble In Little China was not the future he had envisioned for himself.
It’s a shame because this is such an utterly fabulous movie. I wouldn’t consider it to be my favourite horror movie of all time. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t know what to award that accolade to. It changes yearly but The Thing does so much right. Sure, it is relentlessly bleak and utterly hopeless for much of its length. But the brilliant creature effects, many of which hold up now, the expert pacing that rewards the viewer greatly for their initial patience, and the ever present uneasiness are almost unmatched in horror. The icy aesthetics still feel incredibly unique, even now, and the large cast never feels like too much. Everyone has a purpose and all serve to heap on the atmosphere and tension. It’s brilliant stuff.
It’s The Little Things
With all of that being said, the thing that stands out about this movie, for me, is the interpersonal drama. The Thing can assume anyone’s identity, meaning the crew simply can’t trust each other. They have absolutely no way of knowing who might be real and who might be the murderous alien. A fact which makes for at least 40 minutes of tense, anxiety inducing, conflict that feels unlike anything that you see in horror. It is enthralling and completely compelling throughout.
Carpenter’s direction is so tight that he manages to place the viewer as a member of the research crew. You have absolutely no idea who is real and who is fake. You aren’t given any hints that the crew themselves don’t have and you are just as suspicious as each of them. It is stunningly effective and the brilliantly ambiguous ending leaves you escaping the icy Alaskan base feeling none the wiser. The Thing leaves you thinking long after you are done watching.
Brilliantly Acted
Of course, praise has to go to the cast, here. Everyone is completely fantastic and totally bought into their characters. Each performance is believable, almost as if they themselves had no idea who was real and who was a creature in disguise. Visuals are fantastic. The dreary set feels claustrophobic and hopeless, with the walls closing in on the cast as each character is killed off one by one. The use of fire to produce bright red lighting which contrasts viciously against the snowy backdrop was inspired. The Thing is, visually, truly iconic.
Effects are sensational; sure they look a little hokey and silly in the eyes of 2024 but you can’t help but admire the creativity. There are a hell of a lot of explosions here, Michael Bay probably shed a tear of joy watching this movie. Above all else, The Thing is genuinely scary. The tension never lets up for a second and the crew gradually losing their minds leaves you never quite knowing what is about to happen next. Horror rarely feels as atmospheric and affecting as it does here.
Should You watch the Thing?
You should definitely watch The Thing. It holds up fantastically and feels incredibly effective to this day. Sure, it takes awhile to get going and some of the effects are showing their age a bit. But the interpersonal drama, scares, tension, atmosphere and fantastic visuals completely hold their own. The Thing still feels completely unique. Check it out if you haven’t, it is one of the top ten horror movies of all time.
