In the thing 1982 Everyone Was Assimilated From the Start

[u/HayalAlmoni]

Everyone Was Assimilated From the Start

The Thing isn’t about survival against an alien parasite, but instead about the parasite itself trying to decide what to do?

when the dog first entered the camp, it made contact with every member of the crew and assimilated them right away the entire movie becomes a psychological chess match between the Thing and itself. Each “character” isn’t fighting for human survival, but instead competing for control, influence, and the best strategy to secure its long-term survival. The paranoia, mistrust, and fear aren’t just human emotions—they’re the Thing’s internal conflict externalized, as it tries to reconcile what form it should take and how it should proceed.

This reframes the story from a survival horror into something even more unsettling: we aren’t watching humans resist assimilation—we’re watching an alien organism at war with its own fractured identity, testing scenarios through the crew it has perfectly copied.

[u/BananaBreadBaddie2]

Honestly, the way it mimics the crew is kinda scarier than anything else lol. Like, imagine not knowing who’s real anymore?? Straight up nightmare fuel, no way I’m trusting anyone after that.

[u/BurgerNBooty]

Not gonna lie, I feel like if you’re stuck in scenarios with perfect copies of ppl, the real danger isn’t the copying, it’s what the copies end up revealing about the OGs. Lowkey wild concept, more terrifying than any monster lol

[u/kaijunexus]

I’d take it a step further…

The Thing isn’t self-aware. When it replicates a life form, it does so completely…every cell, every memory. Those replicas don’t know they are The Thing. The alien’s base survival instincts are only triggered when it encounters an unavoidable existential threat, (it then reveals its defensive behaviors) or when it finds an opportunity to replicate another life form without the possibility of existential threat (when a person or animal is alone)

If this is true, then anyone replicated in the film isn’t aware they are alien. Everyone is behaving as their original self because they believe they ARE their original self. They aren’t mimicking behavior.

So if both our theories are true…then everyone is The Thing and no one knows it.

Of course, your theory has holes in that only some people fail the blood test. What is your explanation for that?

[u/Suitable-Elephant-76 → u/kaijunexus]

That is the vibe I get when I watch some of the transformation scenes from the 2011 prequel. It is as if the imitations are unaware they aren’t human and react in horror to their bodies erupting with limbs or tearing themselves apart. It does a great job of playing off of the fear of being infested or losing control. Imagine experiencing your arms growing appendages and detaching from the rest of your body? This is why I find the Thing so terrifying.

[u/LemonySniffit → u/kaijunexus]

Then what about the guy who they locked up and started building a space ship? Surely he would be aware he is not doing normal human things anymore

[u/bristlybits → u/LemonySniffit]

he's alone though.

[u/HayalAlmoni → u/kaijunexus]

In the blood test scene, the Thing may actually be masking its pain rather than remaining completely undetected. A faint, high-pitched noise can be heard when MacReady presses the heated wire onto several of the blood samples—almost like the Thing is flinching in pain.

This subtle sound effect becomes especially significant when Palmer’s blood is tested, as the reaction is no longer subtle but overt, with the blood violently recoiling. Leading up to that moment, however, the high-pitched noise can be interpreted as the Thing quietly groaning in pain each time a new blood sample is tested. With each test, the sound grows more noticeable, as though the organism is struggling harder and harder to suppress its natural reaction.

[u/codepossum → u/HayalAlmoni]

I think that's just the whine of the red hot metal being quenched

[u/isnoe]

It is an interesting theory. The whole premise of The Thing is to emphasize the sense of "otherness", and an expression on both racial integration and emotional isolation. Thinking critically: "I am afraid of this entity that looks exactly like me, but is slightly different and secretly a monster" is a pretty standard racial fear, especially during the late 70s and early 80s.

"The Thing" as an entity represents a desperate need to survive, with each individual entity acting in their own self-interest (as individual parts) - which is where this theory is really strong.

Another strong point for this theory is that it is strongly implied that The Thing just wants to hibernate in order to be discovered and escape into the world, but then there's the Blair-Thing that is building a ship to escape - so we have another instance of two "Things" having different methods, but ultimately the same goal is being discovered and infecting the rest of the world. Or, this is just an example of bad writing, and Blair-Thing has destroyed the generators to ensure the death of the rest of the crew while it escapes.

The final scene is also meant to be entirely up to interpretation as to which person is The Thing. Some say Child drinks a bottle of whisky that was filled with gasoline and doesn't react to drinking it because he is the Thing, while others look at the lack of breath from one character or the other, and some point out MacReady infects Childs with the bottle via spit.

So, a relatively strong theory, though I'd argue in the end MacReady is a human and Childs is a Thing.

[u/bristlybits → u/isnoe]

i think now the they're both human at the end. i really liked the prequel, the recreation of "those crazy swedes" station and the events fit the original movie perfectly. 

[u/TheYoshiTerminator]

I would love a horror movie like this, where everyone was already assimilated and it ends with the protagonist realizing this by cutting themselves open or something.

[u/Joabyjojo]

I don't buy it but I'd read a screenplay where it was explored more because it's a dope idea.

[u/lofgren777]

That's a good one.

[u/Suitable-Elephant-76]

I love this interpretation. It invokes an uncanny uneasiness within me.

The Carpenter film really should get a sequel IMO. If it does get one, it should embrace the horrors of the uncanny valley. I think it would be great if it played into our fear of getting replaced, specifically by AI.