The Thing is directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., with a screenplay adapted by Eric Heisserer. It's based on John W. Campbell’s novel "Who Goes There?" and serves as a prequel to the 1982 film “John Carpenter’s The Thing.” The cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje; Marco Beltrami composed the music, and Michel Abramowicz handled cinematography. The story unfolds in Antarctica during 1982, where scientist Kate Lloyd is sent to investigate an anomaly at a Norwegian base station. The Norwegians have accidentally unearthed what appears to be an alien craft frozen beneath the ice, leading to celebrations of a significant discovery – including the presence of a frozen being within the ice. It doesn’t take long for those stationed at the base to regret disturbing it. Few fans of John Carpenter's work wanted this film; his 1982 movie is considered an excellent science fiction horror experience, itself a remake of "The Thing from Another World" (Howard Hawks, 1951). Carpenter effectively altered the scenario from Hawks’ original, creating a blend of paranoia and unsettling creatures that many consider to be one of the best sci-fi horror movies ever made. The question then becomes why another version was necessary? The filmmakers explain it's intended as a prequel to Carpenter’s film, aiming to explore events at the Norwegian base prior to Kurt Russell's team's arrival—essentially filling in some gaps. This is an acceptable premise, even though viewers already know from Carpenter’s movie how many Norwegians survived. The main issue is that while it functions as a prequel and demonstrates attention to detail connecting the two films, it lacks originality, largely adhering to the same formula as Carpenter's film. The narrative follows a group of scientists becoming frightened by something sinister stalking them, experiencing one-by-one gruesome deaths at the hands of an assimilating threat, and grappling with paranoia and suspicion. They even recreated the test sequence from 1982, albeit with a metallic twist instead of blood, while the creatures are similar but larger in scope and budget. Instead of Kurt Russell’s strong masculinity, we have Winstead's spirited female lead—the one without facial hair—but it’s essentially the same routine, geared toward a "Scott Pilgrim" audience. Ultimately, this feels like a remake of a much better film. Despite its shortcomings and lack of adventurousness, it provides some entertainment; the director effectively creates suspense and uses the confined interiors to maximize tension. The creatures spawned from the Thing are monstrous, particularly the two-headed one whose birth is shown horrifically, and while CGI is present—with some instances appearing subpar—it’s combined with practical effects and human actors to avoid it being solely about special effects. There's also a clear sense of admiration for Carpenter's 1982 film. The performances from the main cast are competent, though Winstead seems too young and out of place; however, she puts in effort to make her thinly written role work. A bonus comes from the Norwegian actors adding intense character dynamics to the plot. Beltrami’s score pays homage to Morricone's original music, and Abramowicz’s starkly colored photography truly stands out on Blu-ray. In a world without John Carpenter’s film, this would be considered a respectable addition to the creature feature genre, delivering enough shocks and scares for fans of the horror style. But unless you haven’t seen Carpenter's superior movie, it will feel like a shallow imitation—ironically similar to one of The Thing's assimilated humans. I give it a generous 7/10 because I enjoyed watching it in the privacy of my home with the lights off. Other fans of Carpenter’s work are likely to start their ratings from my 7 and adjust downwards, though.

Source on TMDB