The Thing

Name: The Thing
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Horror
Released: June 25, 1982
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 57
Cast: Keith David, Kurt Russell, Richard Masur, Wilford Brimley

1982

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 118 Ratings

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8.8

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8.8	User Score Universal acclaim based on 118 Ratings

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The Thing (Blu-ray Trailer)

Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: June 25, 1982

Starring: Keith David, Kurt Russell, Richard Masur, Wilford Brimley

Summary: A research facility in Antarctica comes across an alien force that can become anything it touches with 100% accuracy. The members must now find out who's human and who's not before it's too late.

Director: John Carpenter

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Mystery, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 109 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

The Guardian - Dave Turner

The menace of the dark polar night and the claustrophobic confines of the base are utilised to raise the fear, tension and paranoia to unbearable heights. This is a creature that doesn't just hide in the dark, but could be your friend, your colleague, or the girl beside you whose hand you are breaking in a terrified vice-like grip. Read full review

100

Empire - Adam Smith

The Thing is a peerless masterpiece of relentless suspense, retina-wrecking visual excess and outright, nihilistic terror, placing 12 men at an Antarctic station while a shapeshifter takes them over one by one. Read full review

100

Austin Chronicle - Bud Simons

The Thing is paranoid, bleak, uncompromising, and thankfully devoid of a traditional Hollywood happy ending. Led by Russell, the ensemble cast is outstanding, but the real star of the film is Rob Bottin's imaginative creature effects. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine - Staff (Not Credited)

With its fades to blinding white and its atmosphere of testosterone-fueled paranoia, Carpenter's remake hews more closely to the source material — John W. Campbell, Jr.'s 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" — than THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD and is a masterful exercise in claustrophobic suspense. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

The Thing is basically just a geek show, a gross-out movie in which teenagers can dare one another to watch the screen. There's nothing wrong with that; I like being scared and I was scared by many scenes in The Thing. But it seems clear that Carpenter made his choice early on to concentrate on the special effects and the technology and to allow the story and people to become secondary. Read full review

Washington Post - Gary Arnold

John Carpenter's remake of The Thing is a wretched excess. It's not that originals are too sacred to be reinterpreted. They're period pieces that would have to be tinkered with to appear contemporary. They've simply been unlucky with their tinkerers, who haven't spruced up the pretexts without laying waste to the accompanying human interest, wit and thematic suggestiveness. [25 June 1982, p.C3]

The New York Times - Vincent Canby

The Thing is too phony looking to be disgusting. It qualifies only as instant junk. Read full review

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User Reviews

spacebear1

Jan 2, 2018

John Carpenter's The Thing is probably my second favorite horror film of all time. I loved all of the characters and the suspense. I thought the cinematography as well. I absolutely loved the use of practical effects in this film. In the end, this is an amazing film and one of the best horror films.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

The3AcademySins

Sep 17, 2018

The Thing is a masterpiece of horror cinema that I was fortunate enough to see on the big screen in 70 mm. John Carpenter is really bringing his A-game with this movie. The scares are still good even now, 36 years later. The effects are mind blowing. There is some nice camp and humor in theThe Thing is a masterpiece of horror cinema that I was fortunate enough to see on the big screen in 70 mm. John Carpenter is really bringing his A-game with this movie. The scares are still good even now, 36 years later. The effects are mind blowing. There is some nice camp and humor in the script to lighten the mood, and the tone and bleak sense of isolation that pervades the fabric of this movie is palpable. The ending of this movie is one of the best endings to a horror movie ever, and this is well worth a watch, especially with Halloween right around the corner!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

adamhui78

Jun 12, 2017

One of the best horror movies of all time! Great cast, creepy score and some horrifying special effects that still hold up well - not sure why the critics were hating on this in 1982. It's one of the first movies I'd recommend to anyone who likes horror and suspense.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Popcorn55

Dec 29, 2018

Seeing it in 1982 I expected just another SF film, so the initial eruption of that dog in the beginning took me totally by surprise. It was so shocking that I had to leave the theater for a few minutes. No other film has ever even come close to doing that to me! No question -- this is oneSeeing it in 1982 I expected just another SF film, so the initial eruption of that dog in the beginning took me totally by surprise. It was so shocking that I had to leave the theater for a few minutes. No other film has ever even come close to doing that to me! No question -- this is one of the grimmest horror films ever made, a diabolically powerful masterpiece of a futile fight for survival by a small and shrinking group of terrified humans against an utterly alien, unimaginably ancient entity, surrounded by the deadly, primeval, Antarctic winter night.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MasterRiley

Aug 6, 2018

The Thing is a really great horror movie, with a fantastic sense of mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The whole cast is great and the setting of Antarctica perfectly illustrates how alone the characters are and that they have nowhere to run. The practicalThe Thing is a really great horror movie, with a fantastic sense of mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The whole cast is great and the setting of Antarctica perfectly illustrates how alone the characters are and that they have nowhere to run. The practical effects used to create the monsters are fantastic and still hold up today. All around a really great movie.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

MaxiThresher

Feb 8, 2018

Great movie, very scary and well done, the sounds are so anguashing and the ambiance so creepy. Carpenter did it well !

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

amheretojudge

Jul 4, 2018

an annihilated breach with an "in and out" agenda..

The Thing 2 And A Half Out Of 5 The Thing is plot driven horror feature that is more blame game than poetic as it aspires to be. The concept isn't as smart as the makers think and the scrutiny isn't loud enough to bang its way out of thean annihilated breach with an "in and out" agenda..

The Thing 2 And A Half Out Of 5

The Thing is plot driven horror feature that is more blame game than poetic as it aspires to be. The concept isn't as smart as the makers think and the scrutiny isn't loud enough to bang its way out of the screen; it stays with you but maybe you don't want to keep it. It is short on technical aspects like background score, art design, visual effects, sound department and editing. The writing is weak on terms of creativity for it completely relies upon its concept and never even attempts to outgrow it which fades away its specific chareacteristics after the first act. The screenplay by Bill Lancaster is gripping if not smart, for it contains all the essential ingredients that a mandatory commercial cinema does, to draw in most of the attention from the audience. John Carpenter; the director, is not in his A game as he lacks better execution skills or maybe isn't focused on the vision that is aspired to set and is enjoying a bit much of it to breed sincerity. There isn't much range offered to any of the star cast to factor in effectively on terms of performance although Kurt Russell is giving all he can from the allotted part. The Thing is an annihilated breach with an "in and out" agenda that is similar to its characters; one-dimensional.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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