While comparisons the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name are inevitable, John Carpenter’s take on the short story “Who Goes There?” is an entirely different film spin on the concept. The Thing is an alien creature the audience never sees in its original form, here on Earth to mimic us and take our bodies over to survive. Yet, even with some of the most memorably disgusting visuals in Hollywood’s history, this is a human drama, and a fine one at that.
A fantastic sense of paranoia is the driving force behind this 1982 feature. After an incredibly atmospheric and tense opening in which the audience is left as clueless as the American research team, the film rapidly begins its descent into horror. The crew, led by Kurt Russell in one of his best outings, is slowly taken over by the alien menace.
Strong characters are the success story for The Thing. The sense of isolation in, literally, the middle of nowhere works because the characters have been properly introduced to the audience with some sense as to who they are. Carpenter pushes forward rapidly without dragging the pacing, always focusing on the characters.
Silence is one of Carpenter’s best weapons here. The soundtrack rarely consists of more than a few low beats. Action is backed entirely by sound effects, adding to an extra sense of dread along with aiding in creating a realistic, believable tone. Some of the characters' actions do raise some questions (why separate from each other?), though the open ending that leaves the true fate of everyone a mystery more than makes up for it.
Rob Bottin is the man off-screen responsible for the secondary reason the film is so successful. The gore factor here is simply off any measurable scale, even putting gore fanatics down for the count. Creature designs, in their many forms, are wildly original. There has been nothing to come close to how otherworldly the monster designs are. For 1981, the effects still manage to hold up against whatever technology modern day filmmakers have at their disposal.
The Thing belongs to the exclusive group of films where everything falls into place. It’s a movie with everything horror fans crave, and is a quintessential piece for every fan of the genre. Carpenter was the right man for this job. 
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