John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi horror classic The Thing is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in the genre. Starring Kurt Russell, the movie follows a group of researchers in Antarctica who encounter a terrifying shape-shifting alien that assimilates and imitates other organisms. The Thing is praised for its masterful building of paranoia and tension, groundbreaking practical effects, and existential dread.
If you’re a fan of The Thing’s icy atmosphere, memorable creature design, and themes of isolation and mistrust, here are 15 other movies I highly recommend checking out for a similarly chilling viewing experience. These films span many decades but all capture a bit of The Thing’s magic.
1. Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott’s Alien is the gold standard of sci-fi horror and the perfect companion piece to The Thing. The movie follows the crew of the space tug Nostromo as they investigate a distress signal, only to be hunted by a deadly alien creature that gets loose on their ship. Like The Thing, Alien features a memorable monster and a claustrophobic setting that ratchets up the tension. Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley became one of the most iconic heroines in film history.
Where to watch: Stream on HBO Max, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
2. The Fly (1986)
David Cronenberg’s tragic body horror film The Fly stars Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, an eccentric scientist who accidentally fuses himself with a housefly while testing his teleportation pods. Goldblum delivers a powerful performance as Brundle slowly and grotesquely transforms into a human-fly hybrid. The groundbreaking creature effects still hold up today. The Fly, like The Thing, is ultimately a poignant exploration of what it means to be human.
Where to watch: Stream on Prime Video and Hulu, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
3. The Blob (1988)
A remake of the 1958 drive-in classic, Chuck Russell’s The Blob follows a ragtag group of townspeople as they fight against a gelatinous alien entity that crashes to Earth inside a meteorite and consumes everything in its path. With dazzling practical effects and some surprising humor, The Blob is a gooey, gory good time. The film’s small town setting contributes to a pervading sense of isolation and dread.
Where to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Philip Kaufman’s remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a masterclass in slowly building paranoia. In the film, alien spores rain down on San Francisco, spawning emotionless copies of the city’s residents that replace them in their sleep. Donald Sutherland stars as a health inspector trying to stop the invasion. The film’s central conceit of not knowing who to trust is reminiscent of The Thing’s blood test scene. Its ending is also one of the most chilling in all of cinema.
Where to watch: Stream on HBO Max, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
5. The Mist (2007)
Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the Stephen King novella The Mist centers on a group of people trapped in a supermarket after a strange mist containing deadly creatures envelops their small town. Tensions rise as the survivors turn on each other while besieged by monsters. Thomas Jane leads the ensemble cast. Like The Thing, The Mist is a pressure-cooker thriller about the darkness of human nature in a crisis.
Where to watch: Stream on Netflix, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
6. Splinter (2008)
Splinter is an underrated gem about a couple on a camping trip who get carjacked and end up trapped in a gas station with the thieves, hiding from a deadly parasitic organism that can reanimate the bodies of its victims. The film makes the most of its single location and delivers several effective scares on a small budget. Its slimy creature design is sure to please fans of The Thing’s grotesque effects.
Where to watch: Stream on Tubi, Vudu, and Kanopy, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
7. The Void (2016)
The Void is a loving homage to 1980s horror movies, clearly drawing inspiration from The Thing and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The film follows a group of people trapped in a hospital by a strange hooded cult as they’re attacked by terrifying creatures. With its emphasis on practical effects and cosmic horror, The Void feels like a lost Carpenter film from his heyday. It’s a must-watch for fans of The Thing’s brand of surreal terror.
Where to watch: Stream on Shudder and Tubi, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
8. Prince of Darkness (1987)
John Carpenter’s underrated Prince of Darkness stars Donald Pleasence as a priest who asks a quantum physicist and his students to investigate a mysterious cylinder containing a swirling green liquid in a church basement, which turns out to be the corporeal embodiment of Satan. The film has The Thing’s claustrophobic paranoia as the characters are possessed one by one, not knowing who to trust. Prince of Darkness also features one of the most unsettling dream sequences ever put on film.
Where to watch: Stream on Paramount+, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
9. The Faculty (1998)
Robert Rodriguez’s The Faculty follows a group of high school students who suspect that their teachers are being taken over by alien parasites. The film features a hip young cast including Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, and Clea DuVall, plus a fun supporting turn by Jon Stewart. The Faculty has the same “who can you trust?” paranoia of The Thing, mixed with Invasion of the Body Snatchers and some Breakfast Club teen dynamics for good measure. It’s a clever, underrated late ’90s gem.
Where to watch: Stream on Starz, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
10. Slither (2006)
Before he was a big name in the MCU, James Gunn wrote and directed the horror-comedy Slither. The film stars Nathan Fillion as a small-town sheriff dealing with an outbreak of alien slugs that turn the infected into zombies. Elizabeth Banks co-stars as a woman whose husband (played by Michael Rooker) becomes possessed by the slug’s hive mind. Slither is a slimy, oozy blast clearly inspired by The Thing’s creature effects. It deftly balances gross-out humor and genuine scares.
Where to watch: Stream on Peacock and Tubi, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
11. The Descent (2005)
The Descent follows a group of female friends who get trapped in an uncharted cave system and find themselves hunted by pale humanoid creatures lurking in the darkness. The film is a masterclass in claustrophobia and ratcheting tension, taking full advantage of its cavernous setting. Like The Thing, it also explores interpersonal dynamics in a crisis and features some very memorable monster designs. The Descent is one of the most effective horror films of the 2000s.
Where to watch: Stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Roku Channel, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
12. Harbinger Down (2015)
Harbinger Down is a clear love letter to The Thing, right down to its Antarctic setting. Lance Henriksen stars as a crab boat captain who pulls up Soviet space wreckage containing mutated tardigrades, which proceed to terrorize the crew. The film was made as a showcase for practical creature effects in an era dominated by CGI. While a bit derivative, Harbinger Down delivers icky monster moments that will delight fans of Carpenter’s film.
Where to watch: Stream on Tubi, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
13. Dog Soldiers (2002)
Dog Soldiers follows a squad of British soldiers on a training mission in the Scottish Highlands who find themselves attacked by a pack of werewolves, forcing them to take refuge in an isolated farmhouse. The film makes the most of its single location and delivers plenty of gore and gallows humor. Like The Thing, it’s a siege movie with a memorable creature and features a strong ensemble cast of character actors. Dog Soldiers put director Neil Marshall on the map.
Where to watch: Stream on Starz, DirecTV, and Spectrum, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
14. Underwater (2020)
Underwater stars Kristen Stewart as part of a team of researchers who must traverse the ocean floor to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. Along the way, they discover they are not alone and must contend with deadly deep-sea creatures. The film has a gritty, blue-collar vibe similar to Alien and The Thing, making the most of its aquatic setting. It also features impressively designed monsters that harken back to Lovecraftian horror.
Where to watch: Stream on HBO Max, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
15. Color Out of Space (2019)
Based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, Richard Stanley’s Color Out of Space stars Nicolas Cage as a husband and father whose rural farm is infected by an alien entity after a meteor crashes on their property. Cage gives a characteristically unhinged performance as his character is driven to madness. The film features vibrant, surreal imagery and some very disturbing body horror reminiscent of The Thing. It’s a trippy, often quite funny slice of cosmic horror.
Where to watch: Stream on Shudder, rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
While not all of these films reach the heights of Carpenter’s masterpiece, each captures key elements that made The Thing so effective – a sense of isolation, memorable creature designs, gory effects, and a pervasive feeling of paranoia. Whether you like your horror deadly serious or with a side of dark humor, this list offers a great selection of films to satisfy that Thing itch. Just remember, as MacReady warns in the film – “Trust is a tough thing to come by these days.” Watch with a suspicious eye.
