The Thing from Another World
At an isolated Arctic station, a recovered flying-saucer pilot turns scientific curiosity into a tense struggle for human survival.
Overview
A chilling discovery in the Arctic leads to a terrifying encounter with an alien menace.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- foreboding
- brisk
- classic movie night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an unusually effective flying-saucer thriller, strengthened by well-drawn characters and concise, tense plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dr. Arthur Carrington advocates studying the alien while Captain Patrick Hendry and the airmen prioritize containment and survival.
The research station is cut off in the frozen North, turning the base into both refuge and trap after the spacecraft is discovered.
The frozen pilot becomes an unpredictable threat to scientists, airmen, and the journalist confined at the station.
The black-and-white photography and snowbound station intensify the contrast between human machinery and the frozen landscape.
Films like The Thing from Another World, and why
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Shares an isolated scientific setting, extraterrestrial threat, monster-movie suspense, and black-and-white genre atmosphere.
The Thing
Shares Arctic isolation, an awakened alien organism, survival tension, and science-fiction horror themes.
It Came from Outer Space
Shares mid-century extraterrestrial menace, military-scientific conflict, and concise flying-saucer suspense.
Movie Details
- Director
- Christian Nyby
- Release Date
- 1951-04-05
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (714)
Cast
- Kenneth Tobey
- Margaret Sheridan
- Robert Cornthwaite
- Douglas Spencer
- James Young
- Dewey Martin
- Robert Nichols
- William Self
- Nicholas Byron
- Eduard Franz
Where to watch in United States
- 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 from Another World about?
- At an isolated Arctic station, a recovered flying-saucer pilot turns scientific curiosity into a tense struggle for human survival.
- What is The Thing from Another World like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Thing from Another World as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Thing from Another World violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Thing from Another World as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Thing from Another World?
- Critics broadly regard it as an unusually effective flying-saucer thriller, strengthened by well-drawn characters and concise, tense plotting.
- Which films are like The Thing from Another World?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing, and It Came from Outer Space.
- How long is The Thing from Another World?
- The Thing from Another World runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Thing from Another World?
- In United States, The Thing from Another World is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
