Abstract In John Carpenter’s The Thing, trust in desperate times is a major theme. The movie is set up like its own experiment, testing the reactions of a crew when an alien moves among its ranks, disguised as one of them. The men, who have been living together and became friends, immediately lose trust in one another. Their response to the lack of trust among friends is tested throughout the film, each crew member …showed first 75 words of 800 total…

…showed last 75 words of 800 total…means a lack of security, especially in this life or death situation. The mistrust among the group causes paranoia, suspicion, and confusion. One scene describes the theme well. Blair, a scientist, goes nuts and destroys all the radio equipment. After the crew subdues him, he apologizes and says he doesn’t know who to believe; who to trust. Kurt Russell’s character tells him that trust is a hard thing to come by these days.