Directed by John Carpenter
Starring: Kurt Russell
The plot follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", a parasitic extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates other organisms.
Today is day 25 of @MovieLoversMovieClub's Halloween event, and it is my turn to review my choice for the event, John Carpenter's The Thing. Please make sure to read all the previous reviews in the event! You can always find them at @MovieLoversMovieClub.
It wouldn't be Halloween, if you don't watch any John Carpenter films. The man is a horror genius, and directed over 6 horror films in his career, including classics such as Halloween, Christine, and today's review, The Thing.
Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novel Who Goes There?, and a remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World. The film opened up to very negative reviews. But since then, the film has become a cult classic, and has been praised as one of the best sci-fi horror films ever made.
The plot is simple, a bunch of workers in Antarctica a creature that can imitate other organisms. What makes the film so great is the setting that is the background of all this horror that takes place. In the midst of paranoia among the survivors, the ability to trust each other has diminished, and it's all taking place in the middle of nowhere, with no one to help. The film perfectly captures that sense of fear and paranoia, and claustrophobia. The actors were pretty good, although the film could have used more characterization to make the characters more likable and relatable.
The cinematography by Dean Cundey is brilliant and helps capture the vast snowy landscapes in the day, and the dark cold nights in the Arctic. The music done by Ennio Morricone helps elevate the suspense and tension with his haunting score. The special effects are fantastic, and still hold up today, and are quite frankly better than some of the special effects I have seen in more modern films.
In conclusion, John Carpenter crafts another classic masterpiece that will stand the test of time in the horror genre. it's influence stretches out to TV shows such as Stranger Things, to films such as The Mist. It raised the bar of the sci-fi horror sub-genre, that no other film quite grasped yet.
My rating: 10/10
