Evil Dead, It and the 15 greatest horror movie remakes of all-time

5. The Thing (1982)

When one thinks of The Thing, their mind typically goes back to the 1982 film. But did you know that John Carpenter’s iconic film was a remake? There was another remake of The Thing in 2011 that was widely panned by audiences and critics alike. When referring to The Thing, I am referring to the 1982 remake of The Thing From Another World.

It’s hard to classify John Carpenter’s masterpiece as a remake when it is more of a reinvention. The Thing is more faithful to its source material, the 1938 novella, Who Goes There?, written by John W. Campbell Jr., than the 1951 version ever was.

When The Thing debuted in 1982, it was on the heels of another beloved alien film, E.T. It was fierce competition, and because of this, The Thing did not get the appreciation it deserved. Even Roger Ebert declared it a misfire.

But as the years have gone by and we’ve seen countless remakes come out and land straight in the trash heap, it became easier to recognize and appreciate the craftsmanship of Carpenter’s work in The Thing. The idea of people terrorized by an unseen alien force because it masquerades inside of a person is the ultimate camouflage, and it should be a familiar concept if you watch television.

Many science fiction series have utilized this idea, often in monster-of-the-week formats, Lost Girl, Supernatural, and The X-Files immediately come to mind, but The Thing’s legacy is present in many different works of horror. It is perhaps the remake with the most significant legacy.