---

The Thing still stands out as one of the best sci-fi horrors in the history of cinema.

---

Despite releasing in 1982 many films have failed even come close to the feeling of isolation and paranoia that The Thing induces in its viewer. Carpenter’s haunting setting of an Antarctic research station surrounded by nothing but snow sets the stage for the film’s truly bleak and haunting tone. Where the film shines is its use of practical effects as the prosthetic creatures present throughout the film helps retain the film’s horror all these years later.

Kurt Russel plays the film’s main protagonist, MacReady, who doesn’t fall into the role of a ‘no nonsense’ commander of the research station and instead seems to occupy the role of the unofficial leader of the American group. In fact, while there are definitely character quirks that each of the main cast displays they don’t define their overall characters which is a welcome change of pace from usual horror group stereotypes.

These characters aren’t the first people we meet however as the film dedicates the opening scenes to establishing the mystery of the film. A UFO crashes on Earth and we’re immediately presented with a helicopter and two Norwegian men chasing a dog across the snowy terrain. As they take pot shots with a rifle and drop thermite grenades down on the dog shots of the American team and interspersed until finally, the two groups meet with the American team confused as to the presence of the helicopter. While the helicopter lands the dog makes a mad rush for the American team out of fear before the Norwegian pilot accidentally drops a thermite explosive killing himself and destroying the chopper. The remaining Norwegian makes his way towards the dog shooting and injures one of the American team, George Bennings (Peter Maloney) before being shot by Garry (Donald Moffat).

---

Whoever trained Sam certainly did a fantastic job at somehow making him not seem like a dog at all and instead more alien.

---

These opening moments already have the viewer speculating as to what could be going on. This feeling of paranoia isn’t just something the characters feel, it’s present for the viewer as well. In the entirety of the film, the viewer never learns more or less than the characters.

The cast’s performances are brilliant throughout and while each character doesn’t get a whole lot of development, as is usual with horror films, you can tell that they’ve known each other for a long time. The dog, Sam, mentioned at the beginning of the film stands out as being particularly incredible. Whoever trained Sam certainly did a fantastic job at somehow making him not seem like a dog at all and instead more alien. This especially shows when Sam is sent to the dog cage as he stands out straight away as being odd.

There’s a real charm to the film’s visual presentation. The bright blues of light sources and reds of flairs and alarms really create a beautiful colour palette for what is mostly a film consisting of black or white. Alongside this, the painted backdrops in some scenes create a visual charm that makes the film feel otherworldly at times which really improves the film’s overall aesthetic.

Its factors like the film’s visuals and the amazing score by Ennio Morricone that make The Thing enjoyable for numerous rewatches. It’s easy to see why this film has inspired so many directors and even more obvious why it’s one of the staples of the horror genre.

---

Love film and TV? Why not check us out on Twitter!

If you’d like to listen in on Odhrán and Chris’ weekly podcast diving deep into varying films and TV shows check out Monday Movie Madness.

---