The Thing stands as a pinnacle of horror

Universal Pictures

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a perfect horror film. Not the perfect horror film mind you, but a perfect film. In the summer of 1982 The Thing was released. A remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World, the 1982 remake shares very little with its parent film other than the basic setup. A research team in Antarctica find a spaceship in the ice, inside an obscured figure is frozen, once it’s released terror ensues.

While not a huge hit upon release, The Thing has grown into a major cult hit over the years and John Carpenter himself has been quoted as saying it’s his personal favorite. This film is a masterpiece of horror. From open to close this is the movie all horror directors should look to when trying to craft a terrifying and smartly done film.

From the opening moments, tension and mystery abound. Starting off with a mysterious helicopter pursuing a dog through the arctic wasteland. We then realize the people are trying to kill the dog. You immediately perk up and take note. Who are these people? Why are they so fervently trying to kill a dog? After landing, the crew drops a grenade and blows up their own chopper, then the surviving crewman goes nuts trying to kill the dog again before being brought down by the research team we are to follow for the rest of the film. Once our protagonist MacReady (played to perfection by Kurt Russell) travels to the encampment of the departed team, they find it burned out and full of corpses that have been charred beyond recognition and apparently deformed.

This all happens in the opening minutes of the movie. More action and tension in its first part of its first act than some other films contain altogether. In fact, much like the film Alien, this film’s introduction to our predator is so mysterious, so interesting in both its scope and oddness, that both films have had prequel films devoted to expanding on what little information we get initially. As a side note I will say the prequel to The Thing, which was inexplicably called … The Thing (oh no that’s not confusing at all!), is not a bad film by any stretch. Though it was a huge flop financially, the prequel was actually quite clever in how they wove what we see in the original into the film and tie them up together quite nicely. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near the greatness of the original and failed to gain any sort of audience. But aside from the failure of the prequel, the fact that such a tiny portion of the original’s runtime could inspire a whole other film is a testament to the strength of the original.

The premise alone is a terrifying thought. An alien organism, able to take on the form of any living creature, animal or man, infiltrating an Antarctic research facility. You get your isolation, your desperation since any help is days away. Not to mention the idea that this small camp of researchers, who are not trained for combat, are all that might stand between mankind and extinction.

Most films would be happy with a concept like this. Have the actors take turns playing the creature in disguise, maybe have it transform off screen. A cheap and easy way to get a lot of bang for your buck. Not John Carpenter though, no way would he do something that easy and by the numbers. Also we’re talking about the eighties, the decade where body horror was all the rage. Films like The Fly, Reanimator, Hellraiser, and the aforementioned Alien franchise were and are the gold standards in horror, be it body or otherwise. Through the use of amazing practical effects, Carpenter managed to create something that is bizarre and disgusting, and for the most part holds up fantastically well today. While a few of the effects definitely show their age, overall the things they were able to accomplish in 1982 with physical effects work has yet to be reached with the CGI of today. In fact, one of the biggest drawbacks to the prequel film was the CG was neither as real nor as frightening as thirty-year-old animatronics were.

But why has this film held up so well? Is it just the amazing effects? Could it be because the cast was made up of actors like Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and one of Hollywood’s greatest voices: Keith David? Maybe it was a strong script and a uniquely frightening setting that places it apart. For me though, one scene perfectly encapsulates what I love about this film. The defibrillator scene. Assuming that most of you reading this have seen the film, you’re probably nodding in agreement right about now. That scene is a perfect example how to build tension and deliver horror while being utterly surprising.

The glee I have felt over the years, making friends of mine watch this film for the first time, as that scene grows closer and closer I always make sure to watch their faces. The moment where the torso opens and bites the hands off of one of the crew is one of the strangest and most consistently shocking moments ever put on film. Every person I’ve ever seen watch the film for the first time has jumped practically out of their skin at that moment. The way the scene is staged, the panicked atmosphere of it, all works together perfectly to distract you from the alien threat we’ve been worried about, then punches you right in the face with it.

I’ve always said the sign of a great film is one that can evoke an emotional response even on the twentieth viewing. Whether that emotion is leaning forward in your chair in anticipation, anger at characters, maybe tears, and especially surprise. To be able to instill this in people even when they know it’s coming and have been through it all before. The true craft, the art of filmmaking, is to create something which feels fresh and new no matter how many times you see it. This is what separates the good from the legendary and it’s what makes John Carpenter’s The Thing one of the greatest horror films in all of cinematic history.