It’s officially Halloween, so I figured it was about time I got around to watching one of the most iconic scary movies out there. I have yet to see John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” but there’s no time like the present!
Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
One of the things that struck me the most about this film was the eerie, paranoid atmosphere that seeps through every moment. It takes no time to get to the main plot, and once the audience is in the thick of it, there’s no turning back. Carpenter continuously raises the stakes, drawing his audience to the edge of their seats for the film’s entire duration.
Some of the greatest contributors to this are, without a doubt, the performances and the script. With the group of American researchers realizing so quickly what they are up against, there is no room for them to make stupid, short–sighted decisions. These are intelligent people who are consistently considering every option and each way forward to figure out how they can all make it out alive. It makes every twist and turn all the more compelling, making the audience truly care for most of the characters.
At the film’s heart is Kurt Russell, who is arguably at the height of his power, with hair that would astound Farrah Fawcett herself. His character, R. J. Macready, helps to ground the otherwise hysterical anxiety that pervades every moment of the film’s runtime. Macready makes for a compelling protagonist, as a clear entry into the “heavy is the head that wears the crown” trope of protagonists. He doesn’t want to be a leader, but he naturally commands respect in a way that makes him incredibly easy to root for.
Everyone knows that Hitchcock is the undeniable king of suspense, but Carpenter comes awfully close to the film giant’s untouchable reputation with this film. Every scene and drawn–out moment only serves to bait the hook, capturing the audience’s attention without feeling gratuitous.
One factor of this is the narrow space of time that constitutes the film’s duration—while the film itself is under two hours, the events taking place all occur over the course of one day and night. It’s no secret that, in general, I love it when movies do this. While some stories simply cannot be told that quickly, I always feel like films — especially horror films — always feel more suspenseful and engaging when the characters don’t have much time to waste.
“The Thing” is no exception.
Another triumph that sets this film apart is the special effects. While we might look back from the era of endless CGI blood and VFX gore and think that these practical effects are poorly done or clunky, as a film that came out in the ‘90s, the effects are truly a thing to behold. If nothing else, the sheer creativity that went into their creation is awe–inspiring. They also succeed because of the sparse nature of their occurrences. While they are stomach–churning to watch on their own, the way that they are scattered through the film’s runtime to interrupt the brief moments of calm is masterful.
“The Thing” is terrifying. From the performances to the paranoia to the practical effects, it delivers a sense of cabin fever that I haven’t seen from a movie in too long. The intensity that Carpenter manages to craft and build over such a short period of time is incredibly impressive, and this will definitely become one of the Halloween horror movie nights that fall into my yearly rotation from here on out. If you haven’t seen it already, don’t make my mistake and keep pushing it off! It’s definitely worth the watch, especially now that we’re officially in spooky season.
