The 1982 John Carpenter science fiction horror The Thing never fails to satisfy. It is crawling with ambiguity from start to finish, so much so that not even a rewatch can do it justice. The shapeshifting and hostile Thing infiltrates a U.S Antarctic research center after having already destroyed a Norwegian base.
It takes the unassuming form of a dog, a creature that seems to be fleeing for its life from a crazy man intent on doing it harm, and, just as it snuck its way into the base, it snuck up on viewers too.
The Eye Light
It is said the eyes are the windows to the soul, and the makers of The Thing use that to their advantage. A near-rumor, there is said to be an eye light—a shine, a gleam, a little white dot—in the eyes of the characters who haven't been transformed. It can be seen in the scene where Mac tests each of the crew's blood with the flame. Everyone the camera shows has a light in their eyes—everyone except Palmer, who has lost the reflection in his eyes. A sign that he has been fully assimilated.
A Game Of Chess
Before the events of The Dog-Thing and the helicopter, MacReady was playing a game of chess on Chess Wizard. "Your move, King to Rook 1. My move, Rook to Knight 6. Checkmate."
The computer wins the game, and MacReady opens a compartment and pours his whiskey inside. If he doesn't win, neither does the computer. This can be seen as an interpretation of how far MacReady goes to destroy the Thing.
The Norwegian's Warning
At the very beginning of the film, a Norwegian man, Lars, is in a helicopter directed toward the American base. He's chasing a dog that is headed toward the base. It is revealed in The Thing (2011) that Lars is the only member of his crew unable to speak English. He yells in Norwegian, which can roughly be translated to, "get the hell away from that thing. That's not a dog, it's some sort of thing! It's imitating a dog, it isn't real! Get away, you idiots."
Palmer's Behavior
One moment in The Thing that could hint at the Palmer-Thing is, when Palmer called out, the Norris-Thing growing legs out of its head and trying to escape. Some fans think that this is either the Palmer-Thing's attempt to fit in, that the Palmer-Thing had no choice but to call out once the other's had seen it too, or that Palmer didn't know he has been connected to The Thing and genuinely called attention to it.
Proximity
Both Palmer and Norris are revealed to be Things, but, before this is revealed, there is possible foreshadowing in their behavior toward each other, their actions, and where they are during certain scenes.
Palmer and Norris appear to be seen in close proximity to each other as the events of the film unfold. They are also the first ones to extinguish The Dog-Thing after it is set aflame.
Splitface
When MacReady and Dr.Copper visit the Norwegian base, they discover a burned and twisted carcass lying outside in the snow. Taking into account the fact that no information had yet been revealed about The Thing and the dog had yet to reveal itself, this carcass was a huge clue into the workings of the shapeshifting creature: how it assimilates, absorbs, and duplicates.
The Shadowy Figure
After MacReady and Dr. Copper leave to investigate the Norwegian base, it is shown that the dog-thing is walking around the base. Nauls, the cook, is listening to music full-blast in the kitchen.
The Dog-Thing enters a room where the shadow of a crew member can be seen on the wall. Through physical elimination, the figure can only be matched to several people, giving viewers a hint of who to keep an eye on.
Choosing A Victim
After Doctor Copper and MacReady leave in the helicopter to investigate the Norwegian base, a frame is shown that seems to be of little importance. It's of Palmer and Nauls watching through a window followed by Palmer leaving the room.
As Palmer is leaving, the camera pans down to the Dog-Thing sitting underneath the table. This is shown before the shadow scene of the dog choosing its victim.
The Blood Bank
The Thing is smart, difficult, and conniving. It can grow limbs, assume shapes, attack unsuspecting people, and suspecting people with no difficulty. When the remaining crew decides to use the blood bank, they discover it has been drained and is draining in front of their eyes.
They turn on each other and ask who had the key, but the Thing doesn't need a key. The Thing is a shapeshifter. There are many theories surrounding who did it, and many suspect Palmer-Thing and Norris-Thing.
Blair Is Locked Away
After having learned that a locked door won't hold back the Thing, it doesn't bode well for Blair. Blair was locked in the tool shed after having a breakdown and destroying all transportation and appliances in the base. When the crew goes to retrieve him, they discover the door is open—the door that is locked from the outside.