Like The Thing? 5 Movies with a Similar Ambiance to Give You the Same Chills
These five are very different, but enjoyable.
John Carpenter's The Thing is a beloved horror classic about a group of American researchers who stumble upon an alien life form in Antarctica and become paranoid and suspicious of each other when they learn that the Thing can transform itself into any living creature it encounters.
The Thing remains one of the most popular horror films to this day, and if it's sounding like a broken record already, here are five other movies with a similar vibe and effect.
Body Snatchers (1993, 6.0 on IMDb)
Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
The third adaptation of Jack Finney's novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Marti Malone, a teenage girl who accompanies her father on a work trip to a remote military base in Alabama where he's supposed to be conducting environmental research. At the base, the characters learn that an alien species has replaced the human workers with their perfect clones. Now Marti and her father can only hope to stay alive.
The Blob (1988, 6.6 on IMDb)
Available on: Apple TV+
Although it wasn't a success at the time of its release, this horror movie has the atmosphere of The Thing as it centers on the residents of a small California town where a mysterious meteorite-like object crashes and an amoeba-like creature emerges from it. Devouring and destroying everything in its path, the acidic blob wreaks havoc on the town as a group of feckless scientists try to stop it.
Annihilation (2018, 6.8 on IMDb)
Available on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Starring Natalie Portman, this modern horror is very reminiscent of The Thing as it follows a group of scientists who are sent to the epicenter of The Shimmer, a paranormal area created by the fall of a space object where life forms mutate and become something entirely new. As they investigate the phenomenon, they learn that it's happening for a reason.
They Live (1988, 7.2 on IMDb)
Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
Another creation of John Carpenter, this movie centers on Nada, a homeless man who comes across a pair of sunglasses that help him see the world for what it is. Apparently, the ruling class are aliens disguised as humans who control the human population through neuro-linguistic programming in the mass media. Although no one believes him, the character must put an end to alien oppression.
Alien (1979, 8.5 on IMDb)
Available on: Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
Ridley Scott's horror classic is the all-time number one in the alien subgenre. Set in the future, it revolves around the crew of a cargo spaceship who, on their way home, receive a signal from a planet along the way. After investigating and continuing their journey to Earth, they realize that they're not alone on their ship anymore.