A top-rated horror movie, which didn’t see success until years after its release, has been branded a “classic” and is now streaming free.

The Thing, which was released in 1982, was directed by John Carpenter and based on the 1938 novella by John W Campbell Jr titled Who Goes There?

It tells the story of a group of researchers in Antarctica who comes across “The Thing” – a terrifying life form that imitates other living organisms. 

Kurt Russell plays the lead role of RJ MacReady, and the horror film’s other cast members include A. Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites.

The movie can be streamed for free on ITVX, as well as on Prime Video for those with a subscription.

At the time, the film was met with a poor response, though it has since grown into a cult classic. Carpenter told The Guardian last year the movie’s “bleakness” is why it struggled to be successful at the time. 

He explained: “In fact the film was an enormous failure. I got fired because of it and was out of work for a while, but slowly its reputation changed. Not everybody’s convinced, though. There are still plenty of people who think it’s a piece of trash.”

Years later, however, The Thing has picked up an impressive 8.2 out of 10 stars on IMDb with more than half a million ratings. Reviewers placed it in the top four Halloween movies of all time, with only The Shining, Psycho, and The Silence of the Lambs beating it.

One viewer wrote on IMDb that the film was “classic and timeless”, adding: “Great cast and character interaction, and covers the whole gambit of genres (sci-fi, action, horror, thriller, mystery) … It is one of the most re-watchable movies ever made.”

Another said: “The film is terrific on many levels. It works as your straight monster or action type film, as a horror/sci-fi and also as a very intriguing look into the human psyche. The incredible sense of paranoia, mistrust and fear, lent not only by Carpenter’s direction (which is stunning) but also by the incredible acting of the cast in general.”

A third dubbed it “one of the best classic horror films”, writing: “John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ is one of the most entertaining horror films ever made – fast, clever and purely exciting from start to finish. It is one of my personal favorite horror movies. This is how all movies of the genre should be made.”