The Ultimate Sci-Fi Horror Remake of Masterpiece ‘Shudder’ Comes to Streaming
Author: Robert Scruch Published
Every once in a while, a classic horror movie like John Carpenter comes out thing It circulated on streaming media, reminding us how ahead of its time it was by elevating such a simple storyline with next-level creature effects. now that thing With “Shudder” flowing in all its violent and nihilistic glory, you can see firsthand how intense and disgusting it can be for yourself.
From the remote Antarctic wilderness to the looming and growing sense of paranoia in every sequence, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sci-fi horror movie that will make you want to test the blood of everyone living in you. Home. Or, if you’re like me, watch it next time thing You may or may not read Amazon reviews for flamethrowers on Shudder.
why it works
although thing earlier than predator Five years later, both films have one thing in common that makes them superior to their contemporaries, and that’s the routine and camaraderie displayed by experienced crews only to be disrupted by external, alien forces. RJ “Mac” MacReady, played by Kurt Russell, has a great rapport with the other researchers, effortlessly letting the audience know how these people generally trust each other and get along in any other situation before the incident. . thingnow streaming on Shudder.
When an American team’s Antarctic research station is attacked by a Norwegian helicopter (they’re not Swedes, Mike!), Mike and Dr. Kopper (Richard Dysart) decide to fly to the attacker’s research stand to see what triggered their attack. Their initial hypothesis was that the Norwegians were suffering from quarantine-induced cabin fever and, for unknown reasons, wanted to eliminate one of the many sled dogs living on the American base. It doesn’t take long before Mike and Dr. Copper discover a severely charred corpse that appears to be a human in a suspended mutation stage after being burned by the Norwegian crew.
Looking for a logical explanation, Mike and Dr. Copper take the body back to their base of operations, along with all the research the Norwegians had collected before things went south. Senior biologist Blair (A. Wilford Brimley) confirmed that the corpse was human despite its deformities, but when one of the station dogs locked in a kennel mutated violently, Blair changed his mind. The crew now knows they are dealing with “something” that takes on the shape of its host in order to assimilate and destroy any living thing that can host its DNA, and they shudder at the implications.
While some initially suspected they were dealing with alien life forms, it was hard for everyone to ignore the buried alien craft the Norse found before they went on their rampage.
a futile exercise
thing An ethical dilemma is presented that needs immediate resolution. Growing up in his paranoia, Blair made the executive decision after predicting that whatever life form they were dealing with, if unleashed on a global scale, could take over the entire planet in just a few years, the pollution and pollution of the thing Assimilation efforts require maintaining isolation. He destroyed the radio and sled and killed the remaining dogs to ensure no one could escape.
Equipped with flamethrowers and enough explosives to blow the research station into the sky, the crew is almost certain they won’t make it through the winter. When Bennings (Peter Maloney) and Norris (Charles Hallahan) become infected, the surviving crew’s paranoia takes over, as they have no way of truly knowing who else has been infected by the monster . While Mac and Childs (Keith David) have every reason to distrust each other during this ordeal, they really have no choice but to work together to survive.
Higher level biological effects
Emotional and existential chaos aside, thing When it came out in 1982, everyone was shocked at how ahead of its time its creature design and stop-motion action were, and when you play it on Shudder, those things still hold up. Special effects designer Rob Bottin needs a $1.5 million budget (one-tenth) That thing entire production budget) and used a mix of chemicals, food, rubber, and mechanical parts in all sorts of bizarre permutations to bring the eponymous thing to life. If you were to watch this John Carpenter classic for the first time in 2025, you probably wouldn’t believe you were watching a film from 43 years ago, as the practical effects are so brilliantly executed.
Certified cult classic
thing is one of those creature features that actually benefits from having the monster on screen, and there’s no shortage of blood, ectoplasm, saliva, and bones to express that. As each mutation becomes more intense, so does the feeling. real The freezing temperatures on the set made the fears of the main actors all the more believable, which likely kept adrenaline levels high during production, giving the film an air of authenticity that I personally Such a perfect reproduction has never been seen since.
You can stream thing It’s on Shudder right now, which I highly recommend you do the next time you want to see the world burn. if you want to explore thing Plus, the GenreVision Podcast does a great breakdown you don’t want to miss.
