Principal cast
Kurt Russell as MacReady, Wilford Brimley as Blair, T.K. Carter as Nauls, David Clennon as Palmer, and Keith David as Childs
Film 175 of 244 on the Screen Path
The Thing
Anytime. Anywhere. Anyone.
About the film
The Thing at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1982 film at stop 175 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Key craft credits
Dean Cundey (director of photography), Todd C. Ramsay (editor), Alan Howarth (original music composer), Ennio Morricone (original music composer), and John Carpenter (original music composer)
- Director
- John Carpenter
- Release
- 1982-06-25
- Runtime
- 109 minutes
- Genres
- Horror, Mystery, and Science Fiction
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 20 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 20 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
20 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
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