The Thing excels at every level.

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2006)

This movie deserves mention amongst the greatest horror movies of all time. It hits the right note on four levels: visual, aural, intellectual, and emotional. The special effects hold up as some of the most disturbing that have ever been filmed. They aren't quite perfect, but given the subject matter you will have a tough time thinking of how they could have been done better in 1982 (or now, in today's impressive but hokey looking CGI). The sound of the Thing when it screams in pain is otherworldly and memorable. The movie gets you to think about how you would react in this situation, about the ramifications of such a creature existing, and about what actually happened since so many burning questions were left unanswered. It also hits the all-time height of paranoia, where your best friend could have been taken over by an alien with no regard for your or anyone else's life, and has the ability to kill you and take you over with a simple and easy touch. And the only way you will know whether the guy next to you is the thing is by harming it, and therefore, releasing it where it will destroy what it can in self defense. The only way to kill it is to burn it. You can't wound it because it can quickly repair itself by reforming itself. You can't freeze it. It survived 100,000 years of being frozen in the ice of Antarctica. You can't dismember it, since every cell is a being unto itself, capable of killing and imitating its victims.
If you are into horror and sci-fi, this movie will impress you and keep you guessing, thinking, and hypothesizing. Whether you are squeamish or hard-stomached this one will stick in your memory. If you like happy endings, this will upset you. Regardless, it will leave you wondering what happened both during the movie and after its conclusion.