Them!

Released Jun 19, 1954

1 hr. 34 min.

Sci-Fi

List

93%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

While investigating a series of mysterious deaths, Sergeant Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) finds a young girl (Sandy Descher) who is unable to speak. As Peterson joins forces with FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness) and scientist Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn), he discovers that all the incidents are due to giant ants that have been mutated by atomic radiation. Peterson and Graham, with the aid of the military, attempt to find the queen ants and destroy the nests before the danger spreads.

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Critics Consensus

One of the best creature features of the early atomic age, Them! features effectively menacing special effects and avoids the self-parody that would taint later monster movies.

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Matt R

THEM! is hands down the best big bug movie, with TARANTULA close behind. The mystery is scary from the start. Giant ants being fought with flame throwers is so impressive that it seems as if it inspired James Cameron with ALIENS.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

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William R. P

It's not scary and it doesn't make you think. What more could you ask for in an old sci-fi?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/21/23

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Matthew B

During the 1950s, science fiction was still something of a disreputable genre, with only a handful of movies being made on a larger budget. We had to wait until the 1960s if not the 1970s before moviemakers discovered the potential of sci-fi to be turned into blockbusters in which a good deal of money could be invested, and the cash returned in good box office. One effect of this situation is that the best sci-fi movies of the 50s bear a resemblance to the worst. In the case of Them, we see a number of the features that we associate with the bad movies of later – for example, multiple scenes of officials sat in offices talking about the situation; dubious gender politics; or the curious convention that ensures that the people who discover the problem are the ones who are around to help resolve the situation at the end. This leads to the unlikely scenario in Them of a police officer and FBI agent joining the soldiers in the final assault. Many of the special effects used are also reminiscent of bad sci-fi movies – crude models for close-up shots, enlarged images of real creatures walking in miniature landscapes, or added in process shots which forbid their interaction with the human characters; or creatures wandering on matte paintings. Them may have been one of the highest grossing movies of its year, but conservative moviemakers kept the budget low. Plans to make the movie in colour and 3D were scrapped, and only three ants ever appear on the screen at the same time, even though we are told that there may be thousands of them. What makes movies such as Them superior is a flair, imagination and intelligence that lifts them above the flaws of the commonplace low-budget science fiction movies of the 1950s. The special effects were decent for the time, though these methods have now been replaced by computer generated images in modern movies, which many see as more convincing. What Them has to offer is something different – visual images that haunt the imagination in spite of their technical flaws, and interesting stories and ideas that allow us to suspend our disbelief. The influence of the movie might be said to have been unfortunate – it was imitated in numerous giant bug movies, and many sci-fi films that used the talkative style of the movie as a lazy way to keep costs down. As a result, Them may be among the first giant bug movies, but it remain one of the only decent ones that was ever made. I wrote a longer appreciation of Them comparing it to Tarantula on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2017/10/03/arrival-of-the-bug-movies-them-1954-and-tarantula-1955/

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/22/23

Full Review

Red T

A Classic Horror Sci-Fi Movie. The acting is really good with a phenomenal performance from Edmund Gwenn who does a excellent job of making the whole thing believable and grounded in reality. Everyone else is solid also with the only real complaint being they all sort of blend in and don't have much else to them besides explaining plot. Even Whitmore who starts out as the main character sort of disappears until the end in the second half. The music is really good also but I wouldn't call it catchy or memorable but always amps up the tension and action extremely well. The editing is excellent. This merges a Sci-Fi story with Horror elements beautifully and always stays focused on the main plot. Although the same can't be said for characters at times. It still does an amazing job merging the two genres and keeping it grounded. The cinematography is very well done also. The flamethrower scenes are amazing and the ant hives are really cool and imaginative. The black and white works really well and the camerawork is good. The only complaints are while the ants look good for the time they are a bit dated and not really scary but they are cool. The pacing is very good also with the only really flaw being while this does generate tension and surprisingly great action it has trouble sustaining it consistently because it explains A LOT of plot throughout and it can get weighed down and gets rid of any suspense or creeps for a while but it always roars back. Anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, the director, or Horror/Sci-Fi in general will really like this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

Full Review

CodyZamboni

Are you nostalgic for 1950's atomic era, giant insect horror sci fi action ? Well, this movie will satisfy that need. First half of the movie is best, keeping the terror local, confined to a small desert town. The eerie atmosphere, weird sounds, that enhance the dread and spookiness factors, which just keep building and building. Great stuff. But once the ant attack spreads nationwide, the second half of the movie loses some impact. Despite that, the battle spectacle of soldiers and cops, machine gunning, grenade launching, flame throwing the beasts, is all kinds of awesome. Also nice to see the movie grounded by old school Hollywood acting by stars James Whitmore, James Arness, and Fess Parker.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Blobbo X

Make me a sargent in charge of the booze! Famous quote made by old sterno bum.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/10/23

Full Review

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Gordon Douglas

Director

James Whitmore

Police Sgt. Ben Peterson

Edmund Gwenn

Dr. Harold Medford

Joan Weldon

Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford

James Arness

Robert Graham

Onslow Stevens

Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien

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Marion Aitchison

Miami Herald

Views of the creatures which had the youngsters screeching delightedly are plenty scary -- in fact the blown-up scenes of actual ants, such as everyone in the hot country knows, are enough to make you squirm.

Sep 28, 2021

Full Review

Dorothy Masters

New York Daily News

There is added conviction in performance and dialogue, both of which are particularly good for a production largely designed for chilling spines.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 28, 2021

Full Review

Philip K. Scheuer

Los Angeles Times

In the parking lot outside the [theater], I came upon a bustling colony of ants near a crack in the sidewalk. I gave them a wide berth. I had just seen their oversized brothers and sisters in action... and I wanted no more trouble with them.

Sep 28, 2021

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

The genre holds a special place in my heart, and “THEM!” was the quintessential big bug movie.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

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Lillian Blackstone

Tampa Bay Times

Edmund Gwenn is such a convincing old actor that he and his scientific calculations have you actually believing in the 8-feet-high ants bringing terror and destruction in Them!

Sep 28, 2021

Full Review

C.A. Lejeune

Observer (UK)

It moves fast and is superbly silly.

Sep 28, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

While investigating a series of mysterious deaths, Sergeant Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) finds a young girl (Sandy Descher) who is unable to speak. As Peterson joins forces with FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness) and scientist Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn), he discovers that all the incidents are due to giant ants that have been mutated by atomic radiation. Peterson and Graham, with the aid of the military, attempt to find the queen ants and destroy the nests before the danger spreads.

Director: Gordon Douglas
Screenwriter: Russell S. Hughes, Ted Sherdeman
Distributor: Warner Bros., Cinema Classics, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1954, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2008

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