The Thing

They’re not who they are... Thanks to the tense atmosphere and awesome psychological aspect, this is on its way to being perfect. But unfortunately Carpenter pulls the “monsters" out of his sleeve too early. I would have preferred just a sense of unseen evil, especially when the monsters turn out to be unfrightening stuffed toys. The scenes that get by without them and rely purely on atmosphere and actors (or dogs) get full marks. If it had lasted out longer without those DNA blood clots, then... But enough ifs (but if somebody were interested how awesome it could have been, take a look at an episode from season one of The X-Files titled Ice which pays tribute to The Thing). But I still, I’d really like to see a prequel of this, showing the events at the Norwegian base. So, just watch this movie, it’s the right Thing to do… (10/04/2005)

This is my idea of a quality horror film. Carpenter created an extremely intense atmosphere. The script works like Swiss clockwork from the first moment until the end credits. I first saw The Thing as a school kid on a second-hand VHS tape. The quality of the sound and image corresponded to a copy of an eleventh copy of the tape, but it lost none of its power. I have seen it many times since, and it’s a powerful experience for me every single time. One of my favorite scenes is definitely the testing of blood with a hot wire. My review in three words: cult, classic, awesome. (16/07/2016)

Perhaps I’m overly sensitive to the genetic transformations of people in movies, but the first time I saw The Thing, when I was an eighth grader at elementary school, I couldn’t sleep all night and was sweating like I had a fever. It was a terrifying experience. I vowed to never watch another horror movie. However, that intense experience was also the reason that horror later became my favorite genre. The Thing has a unique atmosphere of isolation and despair, which is perfectly supported by Morricone’s gloomy music, timeless special effects and a wonderfully dark, pessimistic ending. It’s a precisely paced horror movie that gradually tightens the noose around your neck and it’s an existential downer almost from the start to finish, with some of the most terrifying horror scenes ever. (05/06/2002)

I'll admit this one got me. As always, great atmosphere (I managed to nibble on the Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film while watching it), decent Morricone music, a pretty good Kurt Russell, really good visual effects for its time and above all a brilliant ending. I love this movie! (15/10/2002)

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. (30/08/2007)