The 1982 horror movieThe Thinghas strong direction from John Carpenter and an unforgettable storyline, making it one of the most enduring classic films. It continues to be listed as a fan favorite and still wins high marks from audiences and critics alike. When compared to other movies that came after it, there’s no denying thatThe Thingwas an incredibly smart and groundbreaking film that proved what could be done with special effects.
The 2006 releaseThe Last Winteris not one of the best Ron Perlman movies, but it also has a lot in common withThe Thing. Horror fans should definitely revisit both of these movies, which are equally entertaining.
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What Is The Last Winter About?
The Last Winterfollows researchers at the Artic Northern Wildlife Refuge including Abby Sellers (Connie Britton), James Hoffman (James LeGros) and Ed Pollack (Rob Perlman). Maxwell McKinder (Zach Gilford), who works with oil, begins having strange visions including seeing a Caribou herd. After a while, Hoffman realizes that the area is releasing sour gas, which is causing people to see things that aren’t really there. This scene makesThe Last Winterso much more intelligent than many other horror movies that ask audiences to just accept scary scenes without offering up explanations.
The Last Winteris one ofthe best eco-horror moviesbecause while it has scary moments that are well-paced, it has something smart to say about climate change and what humans have done to the environment.The Last Winteris also a great example of ahorror movie with solid main characters. Since the story follows researchers and scientists, they are smart and doing their best to survive in what becomes an unimaginable situation.
How Is The Last Winter Like The Thing?
The Last WinterandThe Thingare both horror movies about research teams who find themselves battling nature. InThe Thing, the main characters find strange humanoids in Antarctica, extraterrestrial organisms which can change shape. They are some ofthe best sci-fi movie monstersand one reason whyThe Thinghas left such a legacy.
The setting ofThe Last WinterandThe Thingis also similar. The former takes place in the Arctic Northern Wildlife Refuge and the former in Antarctica. These are some of thebest horror movie settingsbecause the characters are totally alone in the dark, bleak, and unforgiving elements. If they want help, they have to rely on each other.
The creatures in bothThe Last WinterandThe Thingare also equally terrifying. InThe Last Winter, a character explains that the Earth has created creatures because humans are wrong to search for oil. The creatures are the result of humans taking fossil fuels from the ground and they are what the film refers to as “ghosts.” The movie’s title comes from a character saying that the Earth is creating “The Last Winter.”
What Happens At The End Of The Last Winter?
Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers about the ending of the 2006 horror movie The Last Winter.There are two types of horror movie conclusions. Many films havesatisfying horror movie endingswhich see the main characters in a place of power and victory. Then there are devastating, bleak endings where everyone dies and the world has been completely changed.
The ending ofThe Last Winteris in the latter category. It’s clear that the creatures kill Pollack, which is sad since he and the other characters have been through so much. Then, Abby, who is the only person from the research team who is still alive, finds herself in a hospital with her memory gone. It becomes clear that environmental destruction is happening everywhere and that she doesn’t realize the extent of it just yet.
When Abby leaves her hospital room, she sees that a staff member has taken their own life, which is another chilling sign that something is very wrong. The ending scene ofThe Last Winteris more artistic than the rest of the movie. Instead of showing what Abby sees, the movie then focuses on some creepy sounds: the “ghost” creatures that she spent so much time with along with the wind and car alarms. This is a smart yet dark way to end the movie that proves how little the human characters understand about what’s going on around them. Nature is definitely in charge here, which is a chilling thought.
Whilecritics didn’t loveThe Thingin 1982, it has become a huge classic since then. And whileThe Last Winterhasn’t gotten the same kind of attention, bothThe Last WinterandThe Thinghave memorable endings that make people think about the relationship between humans and the surrounding environment.
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