A character study in paranoia.

Rating: Null/10 (10 September 1998)

John Carpenter's "The Thing" isn't so much a horror movie as it is an in -depth portrait of human paranoia and the unconsciously manipulative effect situations can have on us all. By no means is this film an essay. It is a gut-wrenching mind game of second guessing and graphic violence that, quite frankly, shocked me upon initially viewing it. It's a scary movie of the first order, one that understands the difference between what is really scary and what is simply there for it's own sake. This remake of "The Thing From Another World" (which actually more closely resembles the novella "Who Goes There?") isn't a favorite of critics. There are reasons for this, although the artistry or effectiveness of "The Thing" have little to do with them. This movie has several strikes against it. Strike one: it is a remake, and one that dares (God forbid) to be a different film than it's predecessor. Strike two: graphic gore typically strikes professional critics as gratuitous regardless of the context it holds in the film. Already, this film is on shaky ground. Well, I personally have made it a rule never to take anyone's word on a film other then my own. My word? This movie isn't perfect, though in watching it, you're not looking for that. Perhaps that last sentence needs amending. It perfectly does what it intends to do: scare it's audience. One of Carpenter's finest. I loved this movie.