Cliff Notes – Legendary sci-fi film dubbed ‘one of the best ever made’ streaming for free

Cult Following: Initially a box office flop, The Thing gained immense popularity through home video releases, evolving into a cult classic and regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made.
Critical Acclaim: The film, directed by John Carpenter and featuring Kurt Russell, is praised for its groundbreaking special effects and intense atmosphere, holding an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Enduring Legacy: Despite its initial mixed reception, The Thing is now celebrated for its bleak narrative and unresolved ending, which Carpenter believes contributes to its lasting impact on audiences.

Legendary sci-fi film dubbed ‘one of the best ever made’ streaming for free

It went from a box office flop to one of the most influential films ever made (Picture: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

An iconic 80s horror film lauded as ‘terrifying’ and ‘remarkable’ is streaming now for free on ITVX.

Released in 1982, The Thing quickly garnered a cult following after its home video release and has since become one of the most influential sci-fi films of all time.

It is based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr., and followed the 1951 film adaptation The Thing From Another World.

The Thing tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who come across an extraterrestrial life form that can infiltrate the bodies of other living organisms and imitate them to go undetected.

Starring Kurt Russell, Keith David, A. Wilford Brimley, and many more, it was met with mixed reception at the time of its release, being praised for its special effects but criticised for the gory body horror at the same time.

It failed to make an impact at the box office but became a sleeper hit when it was released on home video and shown on television, since being reappraised as ‘one of the best science fiction films ever made.’

Directed by horror icon John Carpenter, The Thing was released in 1982 (Picture: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Starring Kurt Russell, it followed a group of American researchers in Antarctica who come across a deadly alien creature (Picture: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

The Thing was followed by a novelisation in the same year, comic book sequels, board games, video games, and a 2011 prequel film of the same name.

It holds an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: ‘Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter’s The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.’

In their review, The Times wrote: ‘The solemnity of the frozen wastes contrasts brilliantly with the sweaty paranoia of the men, who are unsure which of their colleagues is next going to erupt with hidden jaws and shooting tendrils.’

Empire said: ‘The Thing is a peerless masterpiece of relentless suspense, retina-wrecking visual excess and outright, nihilistic terror.’

RogerEbert.com praised: ‘Every October, I revisit John Carpenter’s “The Thing” to celebrate the month of Halloween, and every year I arrive at the same conclusion: it’s one of the most effective horror films ever made.’

It gained a cult following when it hit the home video market (Picture: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Now, The Thing is considered one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made (Picture: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)

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Meanwhile, Loud and Clear reviews added: ‘In my eyes, The Thing is as perfect as a movie can get: it knows exactly what it wants to be and what it’s trying to do, and succeeds on every level I can conceive.’

Many hailed director John Carpenter, with Radio Times saying he ‘stresses the slimy ET at the expense of characterisation, mood and practically everything else, yet it’s precisely this one grisly facet that makes it such compelling science fiction.’

Speaking to The Guardian, the horror icon behind titles such as Halloween and Escape From New York opened up about why he thinks The Thing has stood the test of time as well as addressing why he chose to leave one huge unanswered question right at the end.

‘Audiences didn’t like the ending. They wanted to know who the Thing was – which was left up in the air. They hated that but I don’t care, that’s the way I wanted to end it,’ he began.

‘The film was about the end of the world. Its bleakness was the reason it wasn’t a success at the time, but I think also why it has endured. In fact the film was an enormous failure.

‘I got fired because of it and was out of work for a while, but slowly its reputation changed. Not everybody’s convinced, though. There are still plenty of people who think it’s a piece of trash.’

The Thing is streaming now on ITVX.