John Carpenter’s The Thing is considered by many to be one of the greatest horror films ever made. Many things can be pointed to in order to make this point, from the thoughtful performances to the isolated location and design and, of course, the absolutely insane monster and gore designs. Nothing like this had ever been put on screen before, and few things have since. But the strongest evidence for the film’s greatness rests in its ever-present and ever-poignant themes of isolation, fear, and paranoia. These elements have helped the film not only stand out in the halls of horror but have allowed it constantly to find new life with various marginalized and disenfranchised groups. Groups are able to put themselves in the shoes of our characters, searching for the truth and terrified at what they’ll find. It’s this weaponization of fear that permeates the entire film and makes it such a classic.
The fear used in the film is as much a threat to our characters as the titular Thing. As allegiances are made and broken, the Thing is more easily able to claim hosts. If you can’t trust the man beside you you are all the more likely to be alone. As Kurt Russell’s MacReady states halfway through the film “nobody trusts anybody now, and we’re all very tired.” Exhaustion and desperation are used to fuel the infection of fear, and the inability to contain the fear allows it to spread and destroy everything it touches. The base, the men, the whole world. Fear can conquer it all if we let it, according to The Thing.
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