A Thing of Beauty

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2005)

I never realised it before but I'm a bit of a John Carpenter fan. I still don't like Halloween though, I find it an ordeal to sit through.
This on the other hand is pure brilliance. The story revolves around a group of American researchers on an Antartic research station. After rescuing a dog from a seemingly crazy bunch of Norwegians (or were they swedes? ;)) they start falling host to an alien being that can imitate anything it assimilates. Cue plenty of suspense, paranoia and gore.
This film wouldn't have worked anywhere else. The sense of isolation and hopelessness adds to the claustrophobic horror of the film. The characters, especially Carpenter veteran Kurt Russell are fantastic. It may seem on the surface a simple horror film but its so open at the same time that you can read anything into a particular scene or conversation. You feel just as paranoid as the characters on screen. Its wonderfully done. Its a testament to the film that it is being so hotly debated 23 years after it was released. I'm still not quite sure who was who, even right at the end. Whether this was intentional on the filmmakers part or arose simply because of the nature of the story I really cant say but its a major part of the films appeal.
The film is also well known for its gore and creature effects which are still fantastic even today. In fact in the wake of CGI snoozefests they can be appreciated even more. Some scenes such as the defibrillator scene are simply shocking upon first viewing.
A lot of films seem to focus on one aspect of horror, whether it be gore, suspense or psychological. The Thing defies convention and masters all of them effortlessly. One of the greatest horror films of all time and one of my personal favourites from any genre.