The movie that Rotten Tomatoes reviewers rate as the best alien thriller horror movie of all time is leaving Amazon Prime in the next 30 days. Here’s why you have to catch it before it’s gone.
When director John Carpenter’s The Thing hit the big screen a lifetime ago in 1982, the $15 million movie grossed $40 million globally – not a world away from success, not even an alien one.
And the madcap special effects bonaza of a thriller – with the most chilling plot and the coolest dialogue you will find this side of Antarctica – may not have spawned a franchise the likes or Alien or Predator, but the cult movie has sealed its place in the horror flick hall of fame – earning itself an incredible 92% in Rotten Tomatoes.
Spoiler alert: a remote Antarctic research station becomes the setting for absolute horror in John Carpenter’s horrifying classic.
When a shape-shifting alien infiltrates the base, paranoia spreads like wildfire as the creature can perfectly imitate any living being.
No one knows who to trust — not even themselves.
As tensions explode and bodies pile up, acting legend Kurt Russell’s no-nonsense helicopter pilot MacReady takes charge in a desperate bid for survival.
With gore, suspense, and shocking twists, and the supposed outlining of political Game Theory as various characters are bumped off, The Thing is a terrifying masterclass in sci-fi horror that still leaves viewers questioning: what if the real monster is already one of us?
One of the most unforgettable lines is delivered when Kurt Russell captures the film’s central theme of mistrust and the terror of not knowing who’s still human:
“I know I’m human. And if you were all these things, then you’d just attack me right now. So some of you are still human.”
Other lines are simply funny, horrifying, and relatable: “You gotta be ****** kidding” – uttered in disbelief by Palmer played by the iconic David Clennon during one of the film’s most grotesque creature reveals.
Russell’s most cathartic, badass mic-drop of a moment is delivered right before torching the monstrous form of the Thing: “Yeah, **** you too!”
Here are some of the best reviews from the Rotten Tomatoes movie review site to really get you in the mood for the ultimate monster movie.
Ed Potten says: “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.”
Reviewer BegG puts his views more succinctly “John Carpenter and Kurt Russell are the best! Great Scifi/Horror movie!”
Steve says “Absolute horror classic! Must watch for sci/fi horror suspense fans.”
Fan Benjamin b says simply, “best horror movie ever made”
Thaddeus Buttrey gives their opinion “In my eyes, The Thing is as perfect as a movie can get: it knows exactly what it wants to be and what it’s trying to do, and succeeds on every level I can conceive.”
V-LO says, “Suspense at its best in this version from director John Carpenter.”
Fan fitzbizdev L concludes, “Epic, brilliant and a classic.”
With reviews like this The Thing simply cannot be missed – it’s still available to watch on Prime for up to 30 days.