I watched 'The Thing' two weeks ago for like the 4th or 5th time because I'm trying to force myself to like it, but having finally sat down again, I was able to carve out my exact thoughts. Let's start out with the praise, I think the practical effects are fucking phenomenal and peak creativity. I owe every drop of respect and praise to the effects team because they fucking did that. But in terms of everything else, I couldn't care less. I think the characters are pretty whatever and bland. Yes they feel like real, simple people which I really like, but aside from that they seem like canon fodder and don't do anything for me. Like I said, I've seen this film 4 or 5 times and can't half of the characters names

I think the atmosphere is decent, it has the custom built in atmosphere that comes with both 80's films and 80's horror films, but people act like this film is the "tour de force in paranoia" when to me it's just pretty whatever. I can name tons of other horror films that don't have this film's acclaim in which I think have much better atmosphere. There is natural atmosphere with it being isolated but aside from that it's just ok

The biggest thing about this movie that bugs me is how nonchalant and easily the characters accept that an alien is there and killing and copying their friends. They burn their friend pretty quickly and the next day when they lock the doctor up in the shed they are all standing there saying things like "Well what if you're the alien and are planning to kill me", it just feels so nonchalant and casual that it completely rips me out of the movie. Even after more people die, nothing feels high stakes and the characters are so calm when talking to each other. I just can't feel the fear the movie should be giving me because it looks like the characters aren't scared either. They make smart decisions but I just don't care for them or are scared for them

I think this movie feels like two entities. You have the great practical effects, and then the mediocre "meh" script. Without the practical effects, I think this film would be completely forgettable and be one of John Carpenter's random titles in his filmography that some people would enjoy, the effects help this film and raise it up so much in my opinion. I'm sorry if you disagree, I didn't write this to harsh anybody's mood or love for this film, but it just kind of boggles my mind how well loved it is.