John Carpenter shows how much he loves the 1951 original by giving it the utmost respect that he possibly could, the only difference here is that Carpenter chooses to stick to the paranoiac core of John W Campbell Jr's short story.

The secret to this version's success is the unbearable tension that builds up as the group of men become suspicious of each other, the strain of literally waiting to be taken over takes a fearful hold. Carpenter then manages to deliver the shocks as well as the mystery that's needed to keep the film heading in the right direction.

Be it an horrific scene or a "what is in the shadow" sequence, the film is the perfect fusion of horror and sci-fi. The dialogue is laced with potency and viability for a group of men trying to keep it together under such duress, while Ennio Morricone's score is a wonderful eerie pulse beat that further racks up the sense of doom and paranoia seaming throughout the film.

The cast are superb, a solid assembly line of actors led by Carpenter favourite Kurt Russell, whilst the effects used around the characters get the right amount of impact needed. But most of all it's the ending that is the crowning glory, an ending that doesn't pander to the norm and is incredibly fitting for what has gone on before it. Lets wait and see what happens indeed. 10/10

The Thing is not only a brilliant remake(which I was not expecting after seeing abominations such as Psycho and The Wicker Man) but it is also a brilliant film that seamlessly blends horror and sci-fi amongst other things.

The atmosphere is especially what makes the movie so good. To this day, very few other movies have shocked, haunted or unnerved me as much as The Thing. The scenery, sets and costumes are eye-popping and the effects are brilliantly designed and suitably grotesque without distracting too much.

There is also Ennio Morricone's most haunting score, a cracking script and a deliberately slow-paced but compelling story that is quite ahead of its time. Not to mention wonderful direction and credible and well-written characters. The acting is equally great, in my mind Kurt Russell has never been better, likewise with Keith David and Wilford Brimley has brilliant delivery of the lines.

All in all, a brilliant film and one essentials and its genre(s). 10/10 Bethany Cox

Although this film clearly got made due to the success of ALIEN, I actually find it the better of the two. I certainly consider it Carpenter's joint best, along with that one with the Michael Myers guy. This is a film based on John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?", which also inspired the 1951 flick THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD which saw James Arness as a killer carrot-man in the same setting. Carpenter is closer to the original story, as his menace is a gory shape shifting alien which consumes and imitates its prey – forget the T1000, he has nothing on this thing. The look of the creature is extremely disgusting and disturbing and hard to forget – imagine some Lovecraftian terror in the flesh, covered in blood and tentacles and other less describable body parts, and you're halfway there.

The rest of the special effects are incredible; witness heads slide off bodies and turn into spiders, and the infamous and gut-wrenching kennel transformation which I had the misfortune to watch when I was but a boy. You can bet I had plenty of sleepless nights after watching that one. Plenty of blood, gore, and violence throughout make this one of the hardest of horrors. Yet despite all the effects, this is still a plot-driven movie with absolutely loads of suspense and tension – not to mention a near overwhelming paranoia throughout.

There are many imaginative moments – the opening sequence, in which Norbert Weisser tries to kill a poor little doggie – to the excellent blood test scene, in which the guys are tied down whilst Russell tests their blood samples for the alien virus. Russell is subdued but great and as an ensemble, the rest of the guys are true to life and so believable, which makes it all the more horrific. Every outburst, crack-up or breakdown seems to be happening for real and we do learn to care about these very natural researchers trapped in the worst scenario imaginable. Add to this a spooky Morricone score and you have a super movie about which I can say no more – except that you watch it for yourself.