The Thing From Another World, Onset/Confrontation Plots, and Cold War Horror

Howard Hawks’ 1951 Sci-fi/horror classic The Thing (From Another World), starring James Arness (of Gunsmoke fame) in the titular role stands as a potent blend of science fiction and horror. The Thing is a science fiction film by virtue of its exploration into the potentialities of extraterrestrial life, space ships, and new technology, and The Thing also fits Noel Carroll’s criteria for being a horror film. It has a monster, the Thing, which is both fearsome (it is seven feet tall and strong as an ox) and it is disgusting, being a humanoid, bloodsucking vegetable organism. The creature is disgusting because it is an unnatural, impossible, interstitial hybrid of man and vegetable. As Carroll notes, “the creature in Howard Hawks’ classic The Thing is an intelligent, two-legged, bloodsucking carrot. Now that’s interstitial” (Carroll 32).
The theme and atmosphere of The Thing is also characteristic of the horror genre. Our characters are completely isolated, outside the reach of humanity, and plagued by an unknown threat, which could be lurking behind every corner. The Thing does fit into one of Carroll’s characteristic narrative structures, namely the “Onset/Confrontation” plot. The Thing also provides a classic example of Cold War Horror.
Carroll identifies the horror genre as having two general narrative families, the Discovery plots and the Overreacher plots (mad scientist plots). The Discovery plots consist of four main movements: the onset, the discovery, the confirmation (present in ‘complex discovery’ plots), and the confrontation. These basic movements can be divided to form different types of stories, but no horror film involving the discovery of a monster can be without all of them. The Thing represents the onset/confrontation plot structure, which for Carroll “seems to be a function of the fact that there is really no distance between onset and discovery…there is no question about the existence and the nature of the present danger to all concerned…some characters might not think that the monster should be destroyed and may impede efforts to kill it. But there is no question that it is a monster that is at large” (Carroll 111). The plot of The Thing fits this structure very well.
The film begins with the Air Force being called to the North Pole at the request of Dr. Carrington, an eccentric researcher, to investigate the crash of a UFO in the ice. After failing to preserve the craft, the crew is able to salvage the frozen body of the pilot and take it back to the base. At the base, Carrington and the commanding officer Capt. Hendry disagree on what is to be done with the body; Carrington wanting to thaw it for observation and Hendry wanting to keep it frozen and await higher commands. A massive snow storm cuts them off from the outside, complicating what the orders of operation are from the Air Force. One of the guards of the body, disturbed by the visage of The Thing, covers the block of ice with an electric blanket (unbeknownst to him) and thaws the creature, which subsequently escapes. The Thing is then attacked by sled dogs, which manage to sever its arm. The crew examines the severed arm, and concludes that it is some form of plant life which is nourished by ingesting blood. Carrington then engages in secret experiments involving ‘seedlings’ of the Thing, which he has cultivated in a green house using human plasma. In the base green house, Carrington finds the blood-drained body of a sled dog, confirming his thesis that the Thing lives on blood. Two men who guard the greenhouse are killed by the Thing and drained of blood that night. A survivor of the attack notifies the rest of the crew that the Thing is on the loose, and out for blood. During this crucial part of the film, the tension between scientists and the military reaches a high point. Capt. Hendry learns of Carrington’s illicit experiments, but before he can confront him, the Thing strikes again, but this time the crew is able to temporarily trap it in the green house, buying them valuable time to formulate a plan, but it escapes. Failing to destroy it using kerosene, the crew devises a plan to electrocute it to death. Carrington attempts to foil the crew in this plan and save the Thing by shutting the power down and attempting to reason with the creature, but Carrington is violently tossed aside by the Thing instead. With Carrington out of the picture, the crew is able to lure the Thing into a trap and electrocute it to death, thus ending to threat to humanity (for now). The film ends by imploring the audience to “Keep watching the skies!”


This type of story is typical in the onset/confrontation plot which often involves an atmosphere of intense isolation, suspense, and a feeling of decisive conflict (ex: Alien). Another hallmark of the Thing is that the monster could be anywhere at any given time, thereby generating an intense suspense and dread (ala Evil Dead). The film seamlessly flows from onset (finding the monster, who is undeniably a monster, and who undeniably kills crew members and drains them of blood) to confrontation (the crew immediately devises a way to destroy the monster). The primary contribution of The Thing to the horror genre is its near flawless execution of the onset/confrontation plot in a sci-fi setting. The Thing is almost equal parts science fiction and horror, which is a difficult combination to have for a film without it sacrificing its effectiveness in either genre. It is able to successfully create an environment of genuine fear and suspense, provide a disgusting monster, and at the same time explore salient social issues (what would Lovecraft think?...). The fusion of science with horror is a unique element in The Thing. In the Cold War, science and scientific advancements were the sources of endless new horrors, such as the Atom Bomb, Intercontinental Missiles, Eugenics, etc. Science Horror movies, like The Thing, were armed with new horrors to art-horrify audiences with. The use of science fiction also lends more effectiveness to the exploration of social issues at the time. Fears of “the outsider” (the Thing), the dehumanizing effects of science, the threat of seemingly unstoppable forces (Communist Russia) and tensions within society about the proper relation of science to the military all were effectively explored in The Thing by virtue of its strong science fiction element.
As such, The Thing is a prime example of a Cold War Era monster movie, which usually explored themes of societal tension, Red Scares, and the larger theme of Science versus Military. Dr. Carrington represents the unscrupulous advancement of science, at the expense of mankind, as evidenced by his autonomous view of science: “In Science there are no enemies, only phenomena”. Capt. Hendry represents the courageous forces of the armed forces, which will defend mankind from any threat, foreign or domestic. In the end, it is very important that the sensible scientists ally themselves with the military to defeat the unstoppable monster (representing Communism). This synergistic alliance between the military and reasoned scientists was a prevalent thread in the social fabric of the early nineteen fifties. In the end, the monster is defeated, unscrupulous science is subordinated, and we are all safe, but the final message of film begs us all to be vigilant (presumably for Communists) and “watch the skies”.
The Thing is a timeless piece of horror sci-fi, and is also a seminal film for 50’s Cold war monster movies.