Legendary sci-fi film hailed as 'one of the best horrors ever made' and 'as perfect as a movie can get' is finally streaming for free on ITV

Daily Mail​

7 hours ago

A legendary sci-fi film branded 'one of the best horrors ever made' has finally landed for free on ITV - four decades on from its debut.
The broadcaster has added the movie, which was first released in 1982, to its streaming platform ITVX.
Named The Thing, the movie quickly became one of the most influential science-fiction films following its release.
It stars Kurt Rusell, A. Wilfred Brimley and Keith David as a group of American explorers in Antarctica discovered extraterrestrial life.
The movie is based on the 1938 novel by John W. Campbell Jr. titled 'Who Goes There?'
During the movie, which boasts an 85 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score, the explorers learn how the alien life is able to infiltrate the bodies of other human beings, taking over their vessels without being detected.
The broadcaster has added The Thing, which was first released in 1982, to its streaming platform ITVX and is available now to stream
The movie quickly became one of the most influential science-fiction films following its release, though struggled to make an impression at the Box Office at first
At the time of its release, The Thing received a mixed response from audiences as well as critics and failed to make an impact at the Box Office.
However, after the movie was released on DVD and began airing across terrestrial television, it quickly became a fan-favourite, cementing itself as a legendary movie.
A synopsis for the film on ITVX reads: 'Shape-shifting aliens & era-defining special effects! 80s sci-fi mystery starring Kurt Russell. A research team is hunted by an alien that can resemble its victims.'
The streaming platform has also slapped a warning on the title too, advising potential viewers it has 'strong gory violence & strong language'.
The Thing has had glowing reviews, with RogerEbert.com saying: 'Every October, I revisit John Carpenter's 'The Thing' to celebrate the month of Halloween, and every year I arrive at the same conclusion: it's one of the most effective horror films ever made.'
Loud And Clear Reviews stated: 'In my eyes, The Thing is as perfect as a movie can get: it knows exactly what it wants to be and what it's trying to do, and succeeds on every level I can conceive.'
Since its release over four decades ago, a prequel of the same name was released in 2011, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Kim Bubbs and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
However, it also wasn't initially perceived well like the first movie, achieving a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score of just 34 per cent.
After the original movie, The Thing was followed by a novelisation, with a series of board games and video games also released based on the creepy storyline
After the original movie, The Thing was followed by a novelisation, with a series of board games and video games also released based on the creepy storyline.
Meanwhile, a critically acclaimed crime thriller 'you need to watch immediately' has finally hit Netflix - and is hailed as 'a masterpiece'.
The TV show, Sneaky Pete, hit our screens on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video back in 2015.
The series aired 30 episodes over three successful series until 2019.
It stars Giovnni Ribisi as Marius Josipović / Pete Murphy, Marin Ireland as Julia Bowman, Shane McRae as Taylor Bowman, Libe Barer as Carly Bowman and Michael Drayer as Eddie Josipović.
Although the show wrapped up six years ago, fans will be happy to know that they can watch the full series on Netflix.
The streaming service's synopsis reads: 'A con man (Giovanni Ribisi) on the run from a vicious gangster (Bryan Cranston) takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his prison cellmate, Pete, 'reuniting' with Pete's estranged family, a colorful, dysfunctional group that threatens to drag him into a world just as dangerous as the one he's trying to escape - and, just maybe, give him a taste of the loving family he's never had.'