The Thing

Review:

Serving as a prequel of sorts to the John Carpenter 1982 horror classic of the same name, The Thing (2011) is a thrill ride of jumps and scares that distinguishes itself as more than just a cash-in on the original’s cult status.

Whilst some may question the need for a remake of such a beloved film, this revamp avoids stepping on any toes by staying faithful to the original, posing as an origin story rather than a complete reboot. Set in the chilly plains of a Norwegian research station, a crew of scientists and general handymen work to dig up a mysterious creature, encased in a gigantic block of cold, thick ice. Enter palaeontologist Kate Lloyd (Winstead), a tough but compassionate brainbox who’s been hired to investigate the newly discovered life-form. Needless to say, in the vein of all great creature-features, not to mention its source material, things don’t exactly go according to plan. When the shape-shifting beast from God-knows-where finally thaws out, its every man for himself as the crew are left fighting for lives in a swirling snowstorm of blood, paranoia and... well, snow.

Winstead performs ably as the intelligent, competent heroine of the film, whilst a supporting cast of unknown Norwegian actors help up the believability in an otherwise absurd premise (as if a shape-shifting-alien-cross-crab-come-insect-type-thing wasn’t hard enough to believe, we’re at least spared a cast of ridiculously good-looking Americans traipsing around in the Norwegian snow with glasses on because “they’re smart scientist types!”).

Things get particularly tense and thrilling in the second half as a what could otherwise feel like a mammoth game of hide-and-seek is salvaged by refreshingly straight-edged storytelling and well poised cinematography in this modern age of the shaky camera – horror doesn’t always equal handheld, thankfully. Moreover, the film benefits from a healthy dose of special effects that help render the ‘Thing’ more full and frightening than ever before.

The Thing offers up a bristling few hours of heart-pumping adrenaline, meandering between suspenseful lulls and ear-piercing scares. Whilst there’s no Kurt Russell, but there’s still plenty of flamethrowers – what more do you need to know?

Luke Woellhaf