One of those perfect horror films

Rating: 10/10 (3 June 2005)

The Thing is one of those perfect horror films. Everything seems to fall into place. In short this is a magnificent viewing experience.
I assume you know the plot so I won't go into it here. It was a strong move by Carpenter to utilize to original plot from the short story "Who Goes There?". The Thing has the ability to assume the identity of it's host and therefore can go about undetected among the men. This causes the immense feeling of distrust among them and Carpenter milks it for all it's worth. In the original there was simply a guy in a costume portraying The Thing and that was a real letdown.
By setting the film in a virtually timeless no-man's land, Antarctica, Carpenter maximizes the utter isolation with it's magnificent snowbound scenery and bitter cold. When all radio contact has failed, these men are quite simply alone in the world. And when The Thing starts absorbing them one by one, up until the point that we have no idea who is left intact, their isolation and despair become frightfully real and tangible to the audience.
Carpenter's direction is nothing short of spectacular. This film, along with Halloween and Assault on Precinct 13, is his crowning achievement. Genuinely haunting, terribly suspenseful with an eerie, all to real ending, this is one film you won't forget easily. Ennio Morricone's music, which is very similar to Carpenter's own orchestral works, is quite simply stunning. Operating like a slow, emotionless heartbeat, it enhances the impact of every scene. Another triumph for this movie are the special effects. This is 1982 and I have yet to see a horror film that surpasses this one in terms of monster effects. Granted the effects are disgusting but, very importantly, do not lessen the impact of the story. It never succumbs to being a special effects extravaganza, it's limited to only a handful of scenes. In short, this film is unbearably athmospheric and has terrific special effects to boot. They make the film more effective, and that's a rare thing in a horror movie.
The performances by the actors are superb. Carpenter regular Kurt Russell makes a solid hero and the rest do an impeccable job in varied roles.
One of the best horror films ever, top 10 easily. Can't recommend it enough.