“The Thing” is a brilliant horror film

John Carpenter’s “The Thing” was made in 1982, based off the 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” The movie follows an American research team in Antarctica which happens upon an alien ship and encounters the Thing.

The Thing initially is frozen, so the crew brings it back to their lab to study. There, the Thing is found to be able to assimilate himself to other living organisms.

This would be perfectly okay if it was a benevolent being, but it isn’t… it’s a killer.

The movie does an amazing job of integrating aspects of horror (all the blood and gore) with aspects of science fiction (the alien and the assimilation). The Thing goes around the tiny research laboratory taking the form of various researchers, killing the rest of the crew.

But what really makes the movie so scary is the fact that it can take the form of any living organic organism. The crew is consumed with dread, and is suspicions of everyone and everything. They are in a constant state of fear and anxiety.

Even once the Thing is found to be among them, they can’t win. It’s overwhelming hulking body and array of different methods and body parts that can kill renders the crew helpless. Well, almost helpless.

One brave member decides to blow up the entire laboratory base, with the Thing inside.

“The Thing” is now considered a great movie, but when it first came out, audiences and critics did not think so. Some claimed it focused too heavily on the gore, and not on the story.

The cast is full of recognizable stars like Kurt Russell, who was recently in the hit “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, and Keith David, who was heard but not seen as the voice of Dr. Facilier in Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.”

Along with the great cast, the special effects and props are impressive in this movie. It uses little computer graphics and enhancements which is rare in today’s movies. The blood and guts, the alien, it all looks real even though it is made of molds, plastics, and prosthetics.

In fact, the follow up movie and prequel to “The Thing” which came out in 2011, and was criticized for its high usage of computer effects.

 “The Thing” is just such a great film, and it’s no wonder why the film has gained the cult classic status it has today. I recommend everyone watch this movie at least once, and I warn them to watch out for the Thing, you never know who it could be impersonating.