LandxSea Monthly’s series of Powerful Films about People and Planet returns to Montrose Playhouse this December - with a festive, thriller twist AND a Christmas jumper contest! 

John Carpenter’s THE THING (1982) is back on the big screen in a brand-new 4K restoration, and it’s arguably both a Christmas movie (there’s snow, cabin fever, and plenty of knitwear), AND an environmental film. Set in an isolated Antarctic research station, it’s a chilling parable about survival, contagion, and what happens when trust - and the ecosystem - break down under pressure. It’s also one of the great cult classics of the 1980s - what better to have you screaming into the festive season?

A masterclass in paranoid horror, The Thing sees a group of Antarctic researchers trapped in their station with the worst kind of party crasher: an alien organism that can perfectly imitate any living creature it consumes. As fear spreads faster than the organism itself, the icy wasteland outside begins to look safer than what’s within.

Starring Kurt Russell as the reluctant leader MacReady, Carpenter’s cult horror classic remains a stunning blend of practical effects, tension, and atmosphere, now sharper and scarier than ever in glorious 4K.

🎄 Festive twist:  Wear your most festive and silly (or scary) Christmas jumper - the best of the bunch will win two tickets to the 2026 LandxSea Film Festival!

Director: John Carpenter | Country: USA | Year: 1982 | Running Time: 108 min | Language: English | Rating: 18

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LandxSea Monthly: Environmental Films, Year-Round

LandxSea is Scotland’s Environmental Film Festival, held each September at the Montrose Playhouse, celebrating bold storytelling that sparks action.

With LandxSea Monthly, we’re keeping that spirit alive year-round.

This carefully curated series features exclusive previews, international gems, and must-see films that challenge, inspire, and ignite meaningful conversations about our planet — far beyond the festival weekend.

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