The Best ’80s Sci-Fi Horror Remake Is On Peacock
John Carpenter’s The Thing is widely considered one of the best sci-fi horror movies ever made, outshining the numerous other attempts at adapting the story. After a recent rewatch, I’m still blown away by the movie’s practical effects, grounded performances, and pervasive sense of paranoid tension. It’s the kind of classic horror that lives up to its hype decades later.
John Carpenter’s The Thing
The Thing is the third film adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, with The Thing From Another World being a major influence on John Carpenter. Carpenter’s version is the closest to the original novella, with earlier adaptations either minimizing the alien’s shapeshifting capabilities or changing the setting. However, the movie’s biggest change is its open-ended final scene, which is much more bleak and unsettling than the original.
The Horror And The Mystery
Set in an American research base in Antarctica, The Thing centers around the research team being infiltrated by an alien organism that can perfectly replicate anything it consumes. Initially appearing as a dog, the camp is driven to paranoia when they realize some of them have been killed and replaced by alien copies. A battle for survival ensues, with the researchers attempting to contain the creature led by the base’s alcoholic helicopter pilot MacReady.
The creature’s ability to multiply and perfectly replicate its victims is The Thing’s most important plot element, keeping the characters and audience guessing about who is human at all times. It gives the movie a sense of creeping dread, tinged with uncertainty. Rather than wondering where the monster is, the film frequently clues the audience into the fact that the monster is in the scene, but builds tension by asking “Who is the monster?”
A Top-Notch Production
The Thing features great writing and directing, but its phenomenal cast brings the characters to life, making them feel believable and selling the mounting paranoia. Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Dysart, and Richard Masur all deliver stand-out performances, but the cast has no weak links. Everything from the research team hanging out early on to full-blown meltdowns in later scenes, feels believable and true to the characters.
Another standout feature of The Thing is its incredible practical effects. The movie is full of grotesque body horror, such as a rib cage opening like a set of jaws to bite an arm off, or a decapitated head growing spider-like legs to try to skitter away. Using puppets, stop motion, and prosthetics, the visual effects have an otherworldly feel that works perfectly within the movie’s plot.
Holds Up Decades Later
Sometimes a beloved classic doesn’t hold up, but The Thing remains one of my favorite horror movies. Even having seen the movie before, I found myself fully invested in the tension, and moments like the ambiguous ending still give me chills. There are moments that have aged poorly, like the cheesy stock sound effects undercutting dramatic scenes, but they are few and mostly inconsequential.
Streaming The Thing On Peacock
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Whether you’ve seen it before or not, The Thing is absolutely still worth watching today. It’s John Carpenter’s masterpiece, with an eerie atmosphere punctuated by explosions of body horror and terrifying violence. The Thing is available on Peacock and it’s the perfect horror movie to watch as Fall is coming.
