Summary
The Thingis generally regarded as one of the best sci-fi horror films ever made, and for good reason. John Carpenter’s movie deftly blends paranoia, isolation, and shocking creature effects, creating an oppressive atmosphere with the most extreme stakes. It’s possibly my favorite movie of all time, and because of that, there is another very similar story written by Stephen King’s son that I think would be perfect for the big screen.
Stephen King has always been prolific, but his son, Joe Hill, has had plenty of successes in his own right. He’s written some excellent short story collections and novels, as well as comics. Some of these works, likeThe Black Phone,Horns, andLocke and Key, have been adapted into movies and series. However,Joe Hill’sPlungewould be perfect for bringing to the big screen, and its similarities toThe Thingmake it something that would be right up my alley.
Joe Hill’s Plunge Is Another Arctic-Set Horror Story Like The Thing
Plungevery obviously takes a lot of inspiration fromThe Thing, but rather than telling a story about an alien being, it instead focuses on something ancient and powerful,pulling in Lovecraftian influences as well.Plunge finds a salvage crew responding to the distress signal of a lost ship known as the Derleth, which has become stranded somewhere near the Bering Strait. What makes this more than an average mission is the fact that the Derleth has been lost for 40 years.
The main character of the story is Moriah Lamb, a marine biologist, who joins the salvage crew making the trip out to the Derleth. What she and the crew discover in the wreckage is the stuff of nightmares; the lost crew is somehow all still alive and seemingly the same age they were four decades prior. However, there’s one frightening difference: everyone on the crew is missing their eyes. That’s the kind of horrific imagery that would absolutely pop on screen, especially set against the punishing environment of the Arctic Circle.
The inspirations are obvious (the salvage company is even named after John Carpenter), but there’s enough original thought inPlungeto not make it too derivative. Joe Hill’s work, much like his father’s, has always focused on the more human side of the supernatural, letting the characters shine on their own in the face of unimaginable horrors.Although we’re still waiting for an adaptation of Hill’sThe Fireman, there’s no reasonPlungecouldn’t also find its way onto screens.
Plunge Could Be As Good As (Or Better Than) Other Joe Hill Adaptations
The most successful adaptation of Joe Hill’s work is probablyThe Black Phone.The recently released trailer forThe Black Phone 2sets a chilling tone, both literally and figuratively. It’s clear that wintery settings suit Joe Hill’s sensibilities (even if Scott Derrickson’s sequel is an extension of his work rather than a direct adaptation). The other adaptations of Hill’s writing,HornsandLocke and Key, were met with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success.The former features a pretty great Daniel Radcliffe performance, but the story is not one of Hill’s best. As forLocke and Key, the Netflix series had its share of fans, but was fairly short-lived.
Plunge, on the other hand, has a lot more potential. It’s a haunting story that combines some of the best elements of Lovecraft’s cosmic horror and John Carpenter’sThe Thing, which if combined on the big screen, especially with the right filmmaker, would be absolutely perfect for horror fans. Certain elements don’t really work for everyone (including an extended sequence in the comic that is written in untranslated Russian), but that’s the beauty of adaptations: it’s easy to include what works and exclude what doesn’t.
Who could direct aPlungeadaptation? There are a few great choices
There are some directors who immediately spring to mind, at least as far as I can tell. Imagine Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead tackling this story after their work onMoon KnightandDaredevil: Born Again.Cosmic horror and the unexplainablehas always been something the directing duo has flirted with. One needs only to look at their filmsThe EndlessorSomething in the Dirtto see their knack for placing characters into larger-than-life situations that they struggle to understand.
David Prior would also make an excellent choice for handling this particular subject matter. While not a household name per se, Prior helmed the underrated horror filmThe Empty Man, which opens with an extended first act in an unforgiving, wintery setting.The Empty Manmight not be on every horror fan’s list of favorites, but it is generally regarded as a solid piece of storytelling. Prior also directed one of the best episodes ofGuillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities: “The Autopsy.“There won’t be any spoilers here for anyone curious about watching it, but it’s an absolutely haunting hour of television that ties into some of the same themes asPlunge.
No matter who might take the reins of such an adaptation (as of writing, there do not seem to be any plans to bringPlungeto the screen), this is one of Joe Hill’s best pieces of writing. It’s a love letter to John Carpenter and H.P. Lovecraft, that stands on its own as a memorable piece of storytelling.The Thingwas famously a critical and financial failurewhen it was first released in 1982, but it eventually found its audience years later, and is now celebrated as one of the best horror films ever made.Plungecould hopefully experience the same kind of success (without having to fail first).
