iRankMovies
The Thing

The Thing (2011)

It's not human. Yet.

Release:2011
Runtime:1h 43m
Country:United States
Director:Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Language:English

Genre

HorrorMysteryScience Fiction
See the best horror movies →

Keywords

Based On Novel Or BookParanoiaResearch StationAlien Life FormPrequelsurvivalAntarcticaSurvival Horror
iRank52

The Thing rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb6.2/10· 154K votes
Rotten Tomatoes34%
Metacritic49%
TMDb6.234/10· 3K votes

With 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.2/10 on IMDb and 49/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been modest.

About The Thing

When paleontologist Kate Lloyd travels to an isolated outpost in Antarctica for the expedition of a lifetime, she joins an international team that unearths a remarkable discovery. Their elation quickly turns to fear as they realize that their experiment has freed a mysterious being from its frozen prison. Paranoia spreads like an epidemic as a creature that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish in this spine-tingling thriller.

Cast of The Thing

  • Mary Elizabeth Winstead

    Mary Elizabeth Winstead

    as Kate Lloyd

  • Joel Edgerton

    Joel Edgerton

    as Carter

  • Ulrich Thomsen

    Ulrich Thomsen

    as Dr. Sander Halvorson

  • Eric Christian Olsen

    Eric Christian Olsen

    as Adam Finch

  • Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

    Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

    as Jameson

  • Paul Braunstein

    Paul Braunstein

    as Griggs

  • Trond Espen Seim

    Trond Espen Seim

    as Edvard Wolner

  • Kim Bubbs

    Kim Bubbs

    as Juliette

  • Jørgen Langhelle

    Jørgen Langhelle

    as Lars

  • Jan Gunnar Røise

    Jan Gunnar Røise

    as Olav

  • Stig Henrik Hoff

    Stig Henrik Hoff

    as Peder

  • Kristofer Hivju

    Kristofer Hivju

    as Jonas

The Thing facts

Budget
$35M
Box office
$31.5M
Collection
The Thing Collection

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • •Alien threat creates paranoid atmosphere with effective tension building
  • •Practical creature effects showcase impressive practical artistry overall
  • •Sci-fi horror framework delivers genuine suspense throughout

What the audience disliked

  • •Character development takes backseat to spectacle and creature effects
  • •Pacing issues undermine sustained tension despite strong premise
Saga: The Thing Collection

Trailer

Where to watch The Thing(US)

View on JustWatch →

Rent / Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Availability may change. Data by JustWatch.

Looking for movies similar to The Thing?

We've ranked 50 similar movies using 8 weighted content dimensions.

See all similar →