An essential horror classic, equally cerebral and gory.

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2015)

The Thing is one of the best horror movies, but it was a box office flop as the gore and bleak tone was too much for audiences at the time. The basic premise: an alien virus called The Thing infects people, assimilates their body and controls their mind. The Thing emulates the human in an uncanny way. It's up to the viewer to guess which of the people are innocent and which of the people have been turned into aliens.
The first half-hour is slow by modern standards but it builds the setting well. The make-up artistry is superbly done to create terrifying moments. The tension between the characters and their mistrust of each other in this situation makes for some intense moments as the situation continually gets worse.