The Thing

A group of scientists in Antarctica discovers the remains of a spacecraft that crashed on Earth thousands of years ago. A dog that joins their camp suddenly transforms into a mysterious creature that kills them and takes on the form of its victim. Kurt Russell's charismatic performance, a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, and Carpenter's directing talent make The Thing into an effective cinematic event that manages to push nerves and keep our senses on edge. Four decades after its initial release, it's clearly a pinnacle of the genre.