Directed by:
John CarpenterScreenplay:
Bill LancasterCinematography:
Dean CundeyComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Thomas G. Waites (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
MacReady (Kurt Russell) and his team of twelve Antarctic researches unearth and inadvertently defrost a hideous, 100,000-year-old alien life form. Havoc ensues as the isolated scientists struggle with a foe that is a shape-shifting misanthrope. The remaining men are soon faced with the task of determining who's who in order to ensure their survival. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (13)
In my opinion, this is the best film by John Carpenter, who managed to extract the maximum out of the B-movie concept and, thanks to his excellent and imaginative direction, created a lasting cult film in the horror genre. The film is based on John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?" from the classic golden era of American science fiction, and although it is often rumored that the film is usually weaker than the book, Carpenter knocked out Campbell. By the way, it is a remake, as the first film version was already made in 1951. While in the story, the creature takes on the form of a classic alien from space, Carpenter works with hints and combines solutions to scientific problems while creating a paranoid atmosphere of distrust and horror, where nobody knows if the person in front of them is really who they claim to be. Excellent camera work and music, very decent special effects shots for its time, but above all, a screenplay that maintains tension until the last second. The whole film builds up to a chilling, depressing, and completely hopeless ending. It was a very helpful role for Kurt Russell. It is also noteworthy that at the time, the film was coldly received not only by critics but also by the audience, and then it slowly gained recognition among film fans before becoming a classic. Carpenter managed to create a more emotional work with minimal resources than Scott did with a huge budget and the support of an influential film studio in Alien. Overall impression: 95%.
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Carpenter's The Thing is, without question, the scariest sci-fi horror film of all time. An orgiastic atmospheric experience that cuts deep into your nervous system from the very opening moments, in an oppressive and bleak setting, with a cold and unbearably depressing directorial rhythm and accompanied by a chilling soundtrack or physically disgusting (or cinematically beautiful) gore effects, only to place a devastating charge at the end and scatter even the last vestige of hope and light. A brilliant, incredibly compact film that never wavers, even with a single shot or spoken line, from its predetermined, most beautiful and purest imaginable genre path... One of those very few films I really never get tired of. 100%
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The Thing is one of the best representatives of the horror genre in the cinema of the last century. It's a delectable line-up of dishes where you can find a thrilling Morricone score on the menu, the ultimate in great production design, solid direction and pretty decent special effects. The film's atmosphere gradually thickens and some of the crew are not who they seem to be. The question of who is coming out of it alive arises, and not everyone is destined to survive when the carnage begins in the middle of the polar wasteland. In short, a cult classic that certainly deserves the attention of audiences because it is timeless and appealing in so many ways.
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The story is about a group of American scientists at a research station in Antarctica fighting against an extraterrestrial creature that can take human form. The film’s biggest strength is its superb atmosphere, which relies on the ubiquitous tension and mistrust among the main characters, and it’s amplified by the endless ice plains. But the “beautiful” creature effects are not very far behind and even the orthodox fans of bloody horror will get their fill. The Thing is hands down one of John Carpenter’s best films.
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I don't like horror as a genre, but survival horrors are an honorable exception. And The Thing is almost a perfect representative, apart from the repulsive "gore" scenes, it contains something much more effective – a game with the psychology of the viewer. The principle of placing a group of characters in an isolated place (in this case, the white plains of Antarctica), making it impossible to escape (in this case, a massive storm) and exposing them to an enemy that can hide inside any of them is proven, but nowhere does it work as perfectly as in The Thing. The minimalist screenplay draws attention to the raw atmosphere, the replicas of the characters are more so purposeful, everything important can be seen and, above all, FELT. Something almost physically palpable comes out of The Thing - fear is not felt by artificial props, but by real experience. When the Thing appears, there is almost relief... Real fear is ignorance, insecurity. In short, this is how I imagine the perfect horror about surviving in extreme conditions. And the atmosphere of the polar base is so unique that The Thing probably won't be improved upon any time soon.
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