The Thing Plot Summary
The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film featuring Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady, Keith David as Childs, Wilford Brimley as Dr. Blair, and T.K. Carter as Nauls.
Set in Antarctica during the winter of 1982; the film begins with two men in a Norwegian helicopter chasing a dog across the snowy landscape. Despite firing twelve shots, they fail to hit the dog.
The scene then shifts to an American research station in Antarctica, where researchers are going about their day. R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) is seen drinking Scotch whiskey and playing chess on the computer. After losing the game, he pours the whiskey onto the computer, causing a short circuit and the device to fail.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian helicopter from earlier is still pursuing the dog. It inadvertently arrives at United States National Science Institution Station 4, a US research station, while in pursuit. However, the Norwegian crew is so focused on chasing the dog that they don’t pay any heed to it.
Why are the Norwegian researchers chasing the dog?
A Norwegian has been chasing the dog from their research station to the United States National Science Institution Station 4. Initially, it is unclear why the two Norwegian men even attempted to kill an innocent dog.
They use various means, including firing multiple shots from a rifle and even dropping a hand grenade, to kill the dog, but the canine manages to survive and seeks refuge at the American research station, where the American researchers try to protect it.
Determined to kill the dog, the Norwegians exited the helicopter and threw a grenade towards it. However, the grenade explodes near the helicopter, resulting in one Norwegian being killed. Despite this, the other Norwegian continues to try to shoot the dog, accidentally injuring another researcher in the process. Fortunately, Garry (Donald Moffat) is present at the scene and manages to shoot the Norwegian, saving everyone from further harm.
It becomes evident that the dog isn’t an ordinary canine. Later in the film, it is revealed that the dog is responsible for the attack on the Norwegian research station, resulting in the deaths of everyone stationed there.
What happens in the research station?
In the opening scenes of the film, a Norwegian helicopter is seen chasing a dog, eventually leading them to the United States National Science Institution Station 4, where they eventually perish. It is initially unclear why the researchers were trying to kill the dog in the first place. To make sense of the situation, R.J. MacReady, Dr. Blair, and Garry decide to visit the Norwegian research station.
Upon arrival, they are shocked to find the entire station burned down. Once inside, they discover the frozen body of one of the researchers. What’s peculiar is that the frozen corpse is seen holding a blade and appears to have sliced its own neck, suggesting a self-inflicted wound.
While investigating, Dr. Blair and the others come across a dead body that has been burned to a crisp. Nearby, they also find a giant block of ice. They ignore the ice block and transport the burned body back to the United States National Science Institution Station 4 for autopsy.
What is the creature In The Thing?
The creature in The Thing is an alien that has been living under the ice in Antarctica for a thousand years. It originated from a spaceship that landed on Earth and went into hibernation after becoming stranded on the frozen land. In 1982, researchers at Norway’s Thule Research Station accidentally freed the alien.
The creature’s mutation was so potent that the researchers began to get infected one by one. In an attempt to contain the spread of the mutation, the uninfected researchers tried to burn the infected ones.
However, the creature manages to escape by hiding itself inside one of the dogs that later make its way to the United States National Science Institution Station 4.
Subsequently, the American researchers also became infected and transformed into the Thing. This cycle of infection continues until MacReady and Childs ultimately destroy the last remaining Thing.
Who dies in The Thing?
The Thing is known as one of the most brutal films ever made, with several deaths occurring throughout the story. It all starts with the death of two Norwegian men who were chasing a dog at the United States National Science Institution Station 4, as well as all the researchers at the Norwegian research station.
They are the first victims of the Thing but certainly not the last. Soon, George Bennings becomes infected and turns into the Thing, so R.J. MacReady has to burn him down while trying to escape.
As the story progresses, one by one, the researchers die, some from heart attacks and others killed by the Thing. This continues until only two survivors are left: R.J. MacReady and Childs.
What happens to R.J. MacReady and the childs at the end?
MacReady and Childs allow Nauls and Garry to join them on a mission to eliminate the Thing after passing a test. MacReady tells Childs that they will go out to test Blair and burn him if he tries to attack them.
Later, MacReady detonates explosives in the tunnel and the research station to destroy The Thing. However, in the basement of the research station, Garry encounters the Blair-Thing and kills it. On the other hand, while planting explosives, MacReady is suddenly attacked by the Thing.
As he runs for his life, MacReady throws an explosive at the alien creature, causing a massive explosion that wipes it out. In the end, Childs and MacReady have a brief conversation, hinting that they may not survive much longer, as there is a possibility that one of them is infected with the thing…