Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Thing’ (1982)

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The horror genre is filled to the brim with iconic stories that we talk about and share with our friends because of how incredible and terrifying those particular tales turned out to be. But while we enjoy these films time and time again, I’ve come to realize that we rarely take the time to appreciate precisely what makes these stories so iconic and so important. That’s not a bad thing by any means because when a horror flick is damn good, the scares and the disturbing moments do take precedent in any discussion. But sometimes, we forget that the iconic ones can teach us so much more when it comes to the assembly of a quality scary movie.
 
Case in point, the fact that these legendary horror films remind us that sometimes the simplest set up when it comes to plot, story and design can be incredibly effective in providing us with the scares and that, keeping the monster in the shadows can sometimes be far more effective in providing the audience with chills rather than keeping it on the screen nonstop. And in this modern era, where style and substance and gore and effects tend to be the focus over the story, it’s refreshing when one takes the time to revisit a film that works hard to keep everything simple, as is the case with John Carpenter’s The Thing. 
 
Now this is another motion picture that we won’t be breaking down in depth plot wise today because we’ve all seen it, we all know it. Instead, I want to talk about all the key elements that make this horror flick an absolute masterpiece and the first thing that helps accomplish that, is indeed the simplicity of this film. After all, everything about this story is grounded in that notion, especially the setting. Because by taking us to the middle of Antarctica and locking us in with a group of everyday joes in their research station, we are treated to quite the character study, and quite frankly, some of the finest tension and terror I’ve ever seen when it comes to the genre. 

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​Because there’s no grandiose escape plan coming into play here, or a cityscape where the creature from another world can wreak havoc. Just a dozen men unsure of what the hell is happening exactly and that’s the other big win for this film, the fact that the audience is in the dark as much as the characters, and we are forced to watch the horror unravel at the same time as these poor men and the fact that we never quite know who is ‘infected’ in this story until it is too late is brilliant to say the least. Because the unknown is what horror thrives on and you’ll find that in spades here and by not being able to trust anyone in this story, the audience becomes about as uncomfortable as they can get.
 
However, while it seems as though praising simplicity in this film when its special effects are top notch in every single way seems hypocritical, Rob Bottin’s incredible work actually helps strengthen the simplicity of the story due to the fact that Bottin’s effects feel organic and natural through and through since the designs for said effects are wild and disturbing enough to feel like the logical progression of an alien being that will do anything and everything to survive and let’s be honest, these are some of the finest horror effects to ever grace the silver screen. They’re twisted, they turn your stomach and make your cringe and kudos to Rob Bottin and his crew for creating such foul and awe-inspiring gore.
 
Yet I firmly believe that this story remains so iconic for reasons beyond its simple approach to the story and the atmosphere. I’m a firm believer that The Thing was a horror film that was in fact, ahead of its time. Because its bleak nature simply wasn’t welcome in theaters in 1982, but it’s a staple now and I love when I stumble upon films that understand where the genre is headed. But when all is said and done, this movie is truly a modern classic, one that people consistently speak of fondly and revisit often and with good reason, it’s a damn fine horror film. It’s chilling, it’s scary and it’s one that needs to be seen if by chance you haven’t, check it out, because it truly is a wonderful hybrid of classic and modern storytelling, and thanks to its low key and straight forward approach to terror, it’s a film that withstands the test of time. 

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