The Ending Debate of the Thing Was Solved 22 Years Ago (And You Probably Missed It)

John Carpenter’s The thing Has an ambiguous ending that caused a lot of debate and made room for various theories, but it was all resolved 22 years ago, although many may have missed it. John Carpenter is one of the most influential horror filmmakers in history, with his 1978 film, HalloweenBeing the key in the development of the slasher genre in the 1980s. Carpenter has since continued his work in the horror genre, and in 1982, he brought out the sci-fi horror film The thingBased on the 1938 novel Who goes there? by John W. Campbell Jr.

The thing is set in Antarctica where a group of researchers encounter a mysterious, extraterrestrial life form that assimilates and imitates other organisms. The “Thing” begins to replace the team members one by one, with the survivors overcome by paranoia because they no longer know who they can trust and who could be the Thing. Despite receiving negative reviews during its initial release, The thing is now regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi and horror movies ever, and its ending has been the subject of endless debate – but the answer to it was already given 22 years ago.

The Thing’s video game sequel revealed Kinder and McCready’s fate after the movie

The video game of the thing is controlled canon

The things group of researchers includes RJ MacReady (Kurt Russell), a helicopter pilot who, when things begin with them at their station, takes control after the team loses faith in the leadership of their commander, Gary (Donald Moffat). When the Thing starts assimilating the members of the group, Cooper (Richard Dysart) suggests testing their blood and comparing it to the uncontaminated samples they have in storage to see who was still human and who was the Thing. Unfortunately, someone (or something) gets to the blood before them and destroys the samples.

After finding another way to test their blood, the paranoia among the group only grows, and by the end of The thing, Only two crew members remain: MacReady and Childs (Keith David)The chief mechanic who disappeared minutes earlier but returns after MacReady triggers explosives, destroying the station. at the end of The thingMacReady sits by the burning remains of the station and is joined by Childs, who claims he got lost in the storm while they were chasing one of their fellow Things.

With seemingly no way out and no other solution to save himself from this thing, MacReady and Childs accept their fate in the snow And share a bottle of whiskey. This left the question of whether or not MacReady or Childs (or both) was the thing, which gave way to the famous “eye shine” theory. However, this was answered in the 2002 video game The thingWhich serves as a sequel to the movie. In it, the player is Captain Blake, a member of the United States Army Special Forces team sent to Antarctica to determine what happened to the team.

Once there, they find a tape recorder with a message from MacReady, resigned to their fate, and also Find the body of Childs, who died of hypothermia. MacReady does not appear in The thing Video game until the end, when Blake meets a helicopter pilot who helps him defeat the thing and with whom he flies away from the base, and The pilot is none other than MacReady. Carpenter endorsed the video game and considers it canon, so it provides a definitive answer to what happened to Childs and McCready.

John Carpenter has already debunked a popular theory about the end of things

If The thingThe 2002 video game is a canon sequel to Carpenter’s movie, then the debate of who was the thing at the end of it should be over, but it is not yet. As mentioned above, there is a popular “eye shine” theory triggered by The things cinematographer Dean Cundy, who revealed that in the blood test sequence, he and Carpenter came up with the idea to add light to the eyes of the characters who are still human.

This led to the belief that the same technique was used in the end, thus indicating who was still human and who was not. not Carpenter debunked the “eye glare” theory in 2023, saying he knows who the thing is and who isn’t at the end of the movie, which clashes with what the video game reveals. According to the video game, neither Childs nor McCready are the thingSo either Carpenter was messing with the audience or MacReady isn’t human anymore at the end of the video game.

The end of the movie of the thing is better left ambiguous

The thing is better with the mysteries of his ending

The ambiguous ending of The thing Perfectly fits the main themes and intentions of the movie. The more paranoid and distrustful MacReady and company grew, the more intrigued and confused the audience became, as they too had no idea who the thing could be and who could still be alive.

With that in mind, it makes sense that The thing would leave the audience wondering whether MacReady and Childs are still human or not, continuing the theme of paranoia until the end, and also leaving a sense of unease, as if they were human, they were going to freeze to death .

finally, The thing No need to reveal if MacReady or Childs was the thing at the end or not, because it wouldn’t change anything else in the movie. The mystery left by the ending of The thing was also the key to the legacy of John Carpenter’s movie, but for those looking for a definitive answer, the video game provides a pretty satisfying and fitting one.

The ambiguous end of the thing is its best asset

The questions about the ending kept things on the mind of the audience

There are many reasons why The thing Is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, from the isolated setting to the amazing creature effects. However, the ambiguity of the ending that has kept the debate alive for so long is perhaps the biggest contributor to the movie’s lasting legacy. Although ambiguous movie endings can be frustrating for audiences, one that keeps talking is a sign of the uncertainty being executed perfectly.

The thing Could have been a sci-fi movie that came to bad reviews and was forgotten by most audiences. HoweverIt’s a film that people will return to often, and part of the reason is the ongoing conversation surrounding the ending. It helped to create a level of interest that people return to many times and that keeps the memory of the movie alive. As the spinning tip in InceptionIt’s a question that doesn’t have to be answered, but the fact that there can be an answer continues to show people.

The end of The thing is the perfect final note John Carpenter leaves the audience with. With the intense and cruel story that comes to the audience for the entire runtime without letting up at all, some filmmakers may have felt it necessary to give them a break in the final moments. Carpenter not only refuses to give the survivors a happy ending but he leaves the idea that the villain won hanging in the air. It is done with confidence, but also an understanding of what the story needs.