The Thing (1982) is a transformative horror film in many different ways. An isolated group of researchers in Antarctica encounters a deadly alien force that challenges what they know. Read here to see why the cult hit is worth watching, and it will be SPOILER FREE.
Kurt Russell stars as our main protagonist. He does a fantastic job leading the charge against "The Thing". This shape-shifting alien has everyone second-guessing everything. Russell has to figure out who is real and who is not. This leads to some great moments like when he found a way to see who is the imposter.
The most impressive part of this film by far is the visual effects of Rob Bottin. This person won a special achievement award later in life for the Arnold Schwarzenegger hit Total Recall. There is something CGI cannot capture. No matter how good it looks, you always know it's not real. When it comes to practical effects, you still know it's not really real, but it feels different. It feels like you could actually see the crazy thing as real. Many movie-goers couldn't handle the quote "disgusting" look of the alien at times. Honestly, disgusting is the word I used upon my first viewing. Other words to describe it include repulsive, abhorrent, revolting and nauseating, yet I couldn't look away. You'll know what I mean when you watch the movie or if you've already seen the cinema. I'll do everyone a favor by not including a close-up picture here...
Director John Carpenter had a head on his shoulder while making this film. This man directed many other excellent Halloween and Big Trouble in Little China. The Thing received negative reviews initially, but it has become a cult hit since.
Overall, any sci-fi or gore fans are doing themselves a disservice if they haven't watched The Thing. It's a horror movie you should be watching. My movie rating is B+.
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