11 Horror Remakes Better Than The Original

John Carpenter’s The Thing and The Thing from Another World are both adapted from the 1938 novella, Who Goes There?, which centres around a team of Antarctic explorers encountering a hostile alien. The Thing from Another World may be a serviceable monster flick, but it pales compared to John Carpenter's adaptation. 

Although the prosthetics and animatronics are sublime, it's the relentless atmosphere that makes The Thing iconic. Rather than battling a generic extra-terrestrial like the original, our heroes face a shapeshifter that can imitate them perfectly. When the ensemble realise this, the paranoia skyrockets since they (and the audience) have no idea if the characters are who they claim to be. Due to each scene's tight structure, the claustrophobic vibes, and the phenomenal acting, The Thing is still riveting on a rewatch, even when you know who the alien is.

Although the best special effects can become dated, the visuals here put most modern CGI to shame. Though visual effects guru, Rob Bottin, deserves most of the praise, the lighting and camera crew should also be recognised since they had to position everything perfectly to make each shot of the titular beast look convincing.

Even though there's nothing wrong with The Thing from Another World, it feels like a footnote in cinematic history while John Carpenter's The Thing is revered as a masterpiece, even after 40 years.