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set at an Antarctic research base, miles away from civilization

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the threat of the alien is ever-present

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the alien could take the shape of anyone

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shot of alien spacecraft buried near the research base

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the film has much in the way of body horror, as various hideous transformations occur to the alien's victims

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the element of psychological horror certainly comes into play as the researchers question who the alien might be impersonating next

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slight undercurrents of cosmic horror are found here too, as the viewer begins to wonder where exactly this alien came from...

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the film's colors are very muted throughout, adding to the bleak feeling of it all (it was originally planned to be shot in black and white)

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the film's large use of practical effects (specifically for the transformations/deaths) is quite impressive and holds up well to this day

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one of several disturbing creature designs from the film

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there is little in the way of ambience here, save for the howling winds of the Antarctic... a reminder of how isolated the research team is

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the sound effects created for the alien are chilling and memorable

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Ennio Morricone's rather minimalist score works perfectly with the rest of the film in creating a gripping atmosphere

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the blood test scene, one of many suspenseful scenes in the movie, keeps the audience guessing and anticipating who the next victim will be

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the main theme of the film; note the ever-present "heartbeat" (presumably of "the thing" itself)

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the film was actually panned at release, apparently for "repulsive" effects and lack of characterization. As the years have gone on, the film has been lauded as one of horror's finest achievements

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various directors have cited the influence that this film has had on them, including Guillermo del Toro and Quentin Tarantino (who took ideas from this film and used them in his own film The Hateful Eight)

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many future shows and even video games would go on to reference The Thing, including The X-Files and Resident Evil 4

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the "colmillos" enemy from the video game Resident Evil 4, a reference to the dog that served as the first host for the alien in the film

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As The Thing reportedly influenced Tarantino, so did Tarantino's 1994 classic Pulp Fiction influence future films and filmmakers