Review of The Thing (1982) by Victor T — 04 Oct 2015

In 1982 audiences where touched by the story of an alien stranded on our planet, the Spielberg classic "E.T.", and also that year was the one that gave audiences one of the most iconic and influential science fiction films ever made: Ridley Scott´s "Blade Runner". But that year saw the release of an overshadow John Carpenter film that failed to impress 80s audiences but as time went one it has become one of the most respected and beloved cult films: John Carpenter´s "The Thing".

An expedition in the Arctic finds a dog running from some Norwegians who are trying to kill it. After resolving the conflict, the expedition finds a destroyed Norwegian camp with evidence that a massacre occurred in there, but unbeknown to them, the Arctic is a place that has some dark secrets buried within.

When it comes to remakes, there are a few that are consider better than the original or are consider to be on the same level, some examples are "The Wizard of Oz", Cronenberg´s "The Fly", De Palma´s "Scarface", Scorsese´s "The Departed", 1978´s "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and of course the film that cemented John Carpenter as a master of horror, and quite possibly his best film. "The Thing" counts with serviceable acting that's fun to watch with Kurt Russell being the highlight, a masterfully crafted claustrophobic atmosphere, Carpenter´s direction manages to flawlessly create tension that will put you in the edge of your seat and manages to play with your expectations, a disturbing amount of creativity, horror that will legitimately make you jump out of your seat at times (without the use of cheap jump scares), a perfectly fast pacing, a good amount of characters that are distinguishable enough, practical special effects/makeup that are one of greatest I´ve ever seen (sure, the blood looks horrible and some portions look extremely plastic but it is unbelievable how well they have endure the test of time), a terrifying villain that has a lovecraftian looked mixed with a surreal touch, and a score that continues to demonstrate Carpenter ´s abilities. But even if this is one of the best horror films I´ve seen, there are still problems due to its B movie nature. The characters are just there to be killed as they lack personality, and a climax that feels rushed and isn't satisfying.

"The Thing" is one of the best remakes ever produced and arguably Carpenter´s best film (or at least is at the same level of "Halloween" and "Assault on Precinct 13") as it is terrifying, unforgettable, tense and incredibly fun. If you can handle gore, then avoid this film, but if you like horror and to some degree sci-fi, then this is a B movie you can't miss. One of my favorite B movies.