The Thing

R

Now Playing

1 hr. 48 min.

Horror

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

List

84%

83 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they take in the dog, it brutally attacks both human beings and canines in the camp and they discover that the beast can assume the shape of its victims. A resourceful helicopter pilot (Kurt Russell) and the camp doctor (Richard Dysart) lead the camp crew in a desperate, gory battle against the vicious creature before it picks them all off, one by one.

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Critics Consensus

Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter's The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.

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Chris

Classic science fiction with great practical effects. If you've never seen it, you are missing out.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/18/22

Full Review

James W

Its the 80s and John Carpenter is the director, what more is there to say ?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/31/21

Full Review

elana k

A little slow and lacklustre in its enactment of an insanely tense situation in the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. (Antarctica- really?lol) Still, it is a great reminder of how film dialogues played out in the 80ies, and once I got into it I was into it. I also enjoyed the measured emotionality and the deliberateness of pacing and plot. Although some opportunities were missed to ramp up the drama, I enjoyed this classic 80ies horror. Glad to finally add it to my watched list!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

Full Review

James B

A really good disturbing creature movie and the cliffhanger was amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

Nick M

The Thing is a timeless masterpiece. And truly the only reason I don't give it a 5 out of 5 is because of the couple of off screen deaths which in order not to spoil I won't mention any further. If you want a normal Hollywood film with happy endings and romance turn away. Caroenter makes you scared to finish this movie because you're scared to see what happens to these characters. But fair warning after watching you will most likely fall into an inescapable rabbit hole of theories and explanations. But trust me those theories and explanations add so much to a film that's already a masterpiece

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/24

Full Review

Aldis H

One of the wickedest, goriest, and scariest movies ever made.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

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John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

R.J. MacReady

Wilford Brimley

Dr. Blair

T.K. Carter

Nauls

Richard Dysart

Dr. Copper

Richard Masur

Clark

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The Thing: Official Clip - Why Don't We Wait Here, See What Happens

2:10

The Thing: Official Clip - Chest Defibrillation

2:31

The Thing: Official Clip - MacReady's Tape Recorder

1:23

The Thing: Official Clip - Warm Things Up a Little

2:23

The Thing: Official Clip - Tainted Blood Sample

2:58

The Thing: Official Clip - It's Weird and Pissed Off

2:13

The Thing: Official Clip - Tied to This Couch

1:20

The Thing: Official Clip - The Norwegian Dog Hunt

2:13

The Thing: Official Clip - Human Mutant

2:08

The Thing: Official Clip - Blowing the Base

2:13

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

The solemnity of the frozen wastes contrasts brilliantly with the sweaty paranoia of the men, who are unsure which of their colleagues is next going to erupt with hidden jaws and shooting tendrils.

Feb 16, 2024

Full Review

Wael Khairy

RogerEbert.com

Every October, I revisit John Carpenter’s “The Thing” to celebrate the month of Halloween, and every year I arrive at the same conclusion: it's one of the most effective horror films ever made.

Sep 28, 2022

Full Review

Scott Cain

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Such a pity. John Carpenter is too gifted a moviemaker to let nauseating special effects take over his biggest film, but that's what happened in The Thing.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 9, 2021

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... an alien invasion horror masterpiece, a kind of survivalist chamber drama set in a remote research station in the icy Arctic where a small group men without women are confronted by an insidious takeover.

Oct 20, 2023

Full Review

Howard Waldstein

CBR

While the close-quarters direction is stellar, full of tight, terrifying spaces, and the cast is excellent (led by Kurt Russell), the real strength of the film lies in the special effects by Rob Bottin.

Jul 18, 2023

Full Review

Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Tremendously fun. [Full review in Spanish]

Apr 11, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they take in the dog, it brutally attacks both human beings and canines in the camp and they discover that the beast can assume the shape of its victims. A resourceful helicopter pilot (Kurt Russell) and the camp doctor (Richard Dysart) lead the camp crew in a desperate, gory battle against the vicious creature before it picks them all off, one by one.

Director: John Carpenter
Executive Producer: Wilbur Stark
Screenwriter: Bill Lancaster
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Turman-Foster Company
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 25, 1982, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Sound Mix: Dolby, Stereo, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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