15 Most Terrifying Movie Aliens Of All Time
3. The Thing
In what may be the most visually haunting horror film of all time, John Carpenter's The Thing introduced us to an alien life form so undefinable that 'Thing' really does sum it up far better than anything else possibly could.
An organism that can mimic other life forms, there are times when it looks as harmless as your best friend or your pet dog. And then there are times when it can contort its own body, stretch its own head off, turn torsos into teeth, reemerge from its own stomach and grow a ton of spider-legs for the heck of it.
Yes, The Thing is a disturbing creature designed to give audiences nightmares and that's clearly what it did all the way back in 1982 because it was originally released to an overwhelmingly negative reception. Who would have thought that it would go on to become such a cult - and revolutionary - classic.
Perhaps the greatest use of practical special effects in cinema history - that still bests the CGI-heavy prequel sequel of 2011 by the way - The Thing still haunts us all to this day.