The John Carpenter masterpiece labelled “the most hated film of all time”
John Carpenter is now regarded as one of the pioneers of American horror cinema, known for creating wildly popular gems such as Halloween as well as cult classics like They Live. However, the critical reception of many of Carpenter’s well-known works was very mixed when the films first came out which contributed to his cult status.
It’s a reminder to us all that while some of our creative endeavours may be met with snorts of derision or unsubtle rolls of the eyes whenever discussed at the dinner table, given time and space, some of those pieces of creation can find their audience. For an auteur like Carpenter to be routinely mocked and ridiculed only to become an icon of the genre he dedicated his life to is a heartening story to be told.
In recent years, Carpenter has contributed to new additions to the iconic Halloween franchise by working with the filmmakers as a creative consultant. Carpenter has also focused on his music career and his unique ability to construct moving scores for films that have influenced many great talents, including Hans Zimmer who later cited him as a source of inspiration.
Among Carpenter’s most famous films is the 1982 masterpiece The Thing, which is often named among the greatest horror films ever made. At the time of its release, however, audiences and cultural commentators wrote it off as a critical and commercial failure because they failed to see the artistic value in Carpenter’s vision.
The Thing is a thoroughly engaging sci-fi thriller that revolves around an alien entity with the horrifying ability to assimilate living beings. An essential horror experience, The Thing is a fan-favourite of modern audiences as well and many fans revisited it when the pandemic broke out all over the world.
Each element of the film works in perfect harmony with the next, crafting a flow of suspense that culminates in an ominous climactic scene that radiates a perpetual paranoia even after the credits roll. Whilst The Thing strikes fear with its visceral terror that oozes disgust, it is the intolerable feelings of betrayal, mistrust and anxiety that Carpenter fosters that make his film such an enduring masterpiece.
While reflecting on the relevance of the film, Carpenter commented in an interview: “The Thing is a film about an alien—but it can be read as a metaphor for this pandemic, this disease. The appearance of normalcy is all-important for the creature. It wants to imitate perfectly, so no one can tell who’s sick and who’s not.”
The director talked about his own childhood and said that there was an omnipresent climate of scepticism and suspicion now. “In the United States there’s always been a cult of ignorance,” he said. “Always has been, and it’s just the way it is. Somehow it’s in our nature. Some people believe that ignorance is just as good as expertise. And it’s not true, but maybe it seems like freedom,” Carpenter mused.
Although it has become an indispensable horror classic, Cinefantastique labelled The Thing “the most hated film of all time” and described it as “instant junk” and “a wretched excess.” Thankfully, newer audiences are continuing to discover Carpenter’s brilliance through his popular gems and cult masterpieces.
