The Thing
An Antarctic paleontologist battles an alien infiltrator that can imitate human life while her expedition collapses into suspicion and survival panic.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- claustrophobic
- foreboding
- visceral
- late night horror marathon
- winter horror night
What critics said
Critics generally found it a serviceable but derivative survival horror prequel whose Antarctic atmosphere and creature effects were stronger than its reliance on scares and its debt to the 1982 film.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The alien infects human hosts and visibly reconfigures their bodies into grotesque forms.
The research team must determine who has been infected while confined to an Antarctic base.
The 2011 story takes place at the Norwegian Antarctic station immediately before the 1982 narrative.
The expedition operates beneath Antarctic ice, with blizzards and distance cutting the team off from outside help.
Films like The Thing, and why
The Thing
Shared survival horror, Antarctic isolation, alien imitation, and escalating paranoia among a trapped research team.
Alien
Shared science fiction horror, body transformation, claustrophobic survival, and distrust within a scientific facility.
The Mist
Shared monster horror, isolated hostile environment, practical creature effects, and group paranoia.
Life
Shared extraterrestrial threat, research-station setting, survival horror, and distrust over hidden infection.
Movie Details
- Director
- Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
- Release Date
- 2011-10-12
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (3344)
Cast
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead
- Joel Edgerton
- Ulrich Thomsen
- Eric Christian Olsen
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Paul Braunstein
- Trond Espen Seim
- Kim Bubbs
- Jørgen Langhelle
- Jan Gunnar Røise
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Thing about?
- An Antarctic paleontologist battles an alien infiltrator that can imitate human life while her expedition collapses into suspicion and survival panic.
- What is The Thing like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Thing as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Thing violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Thing as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Thing?
- Critics generally found it a serviceable but derivative survival horror prequel whose Antarctic atmosphere and creature effects were stronger than its reliance on scares and its debt to the 1982 film.
- Which films are like The Thing?
- Films with a similar feel include The Thing, Alien, The Mist, and Life.
- How long is The Thing?
- The Thing runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Thing?
- In United States, The Thing streams on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus.
