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Trailer

The Thing

1982Movie1 h 49 minR

HorrorMystery
78
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb8.2Letterboxd4.3/5Metacritic578.8Rotten Tomatoes84%92%
78
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb8.2Letterboxd4.3/5Metacritic578.8Rotten Tomatoes84%92%

Summary

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Good for

  • Friends night
  • Thought-provoking
  • Adults

Skip it if

  • You need an uplifting mood
  • You want fast pacing
  • Graphic violence bothers you
  • You scare easily

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Cast

19 of 19

Crew

Directed by
John Carpenter
Written by
Bill Lancaster, John W. Campbell Jr.
Produced by
Lawrence Turman, David Foster
Music by
Ennio Morricone

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

June 25, 1982 · 1 h 49 min · R

Released
June 25, 1982
Runtime
1 h 49 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Strong Language, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction
Original language
English
Also spoken
Norwegian
Made in
United States
Budget
$15 million
Box office
$20 million
Available in
93 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Thing?"

Questions about The Thing

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Thing?

PrimeAMC+AMC

In the United States, The Thing streams on Prime, AMC+, and AMC. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 57 other countries.

Is The Thing worth watching?

78
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 78 (IMDb 8.2, Letterboxd 4.3 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 84%, and Metacritic 57). Audiences rate it higher (87 out of 100) than critics (71).

Is there a sequel to The Thing?

  1. The Thing (1982)
  2. The Thing (2011)

Yes: it's movie 1 of 2 in its series, followed by The Thing (2011).

Will The Thing scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

Yes, it's frightening: scares are rated 9 of 10, and some images are gruesome (grotesque 10 of 10).

Will I feel good after watching The Thing?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 10 of 10 for bleakness and 4 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.