Movies - TV
The Horror Prequel Flop Coming Back To Life On Netflix Right Now
By DANIELLE RYAN
Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.’s 2011 prequel/remake of “The Thing” left viewers with mixed feelings, but the film has now skyrocketed in popularity on Netflix, leaving many baffled.
John Carpenter’s classic starring Kurt Russell sees a group of researchers in Antarctica terrorized by an otherworldly being that mutates into the form of whomever it infects.
Heijningen Jr.’s 2011 film takes place before these events, following Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Kate Lloyd and the other crew members, as they struggle against the alien.
While fans of the original loved Robert Bottin’s practical special effects, the 2011 iteration’s mix of practical and digital effects performed poorly with the test audience.
The negative feedback resulted in the film mainly relying on CGI for the titular Thing, despite the marketing highlighting the practical effects that were supposed to be featured.
The prequel serves as a tribute to the original and includes a diverse cast of men and women, yet the film doesn’t quite reach the same depths of complexity as the 1982 version.
The film might have been a box office flop, but this isn’t to say that the 2011 “The Thing” doesn’t have its merits, as it’s still a fun experience for horror fans everywhere.
Carpenter’s version is truly a quintessential horror movie that deserves the praise it gets, though this shouldn’t deter anyone from checking out the prequel.