Them! (1954)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  I seriously didn't know what to make of Them! when I first saw it. On the one hand it's probably one of the more better made sci-fi B movies from this era, but then on the other hand it tends to be pretty boring. There's some heavy emphasis on plot: what the characters… More
  I seriously didn't know what to make of Them! when I first saw it. On the one hand it's probably one of the more better made sci-fi B movies from this era, but then on the other hand it tends to be pretty boring. There's some heavy emphasis on plot: what the characters are doing, where they're going, what they have to, ecetera. There aren't that many scenes physically involving the atomic ants, and probably for good reason. I'm sure they realized that people would just find them silly (and they did), but it doesn't make for a very exciting time at the movies. Then again, perhaps I'm just reading to much into it. It's not a pile of crap or anything. The dialogue is mediocre to terrible at times (despite a few decent moments) and the acting isn't award-winning either. It just is what it is. Most of the time I prefer my monsters in the shadows as that tends to make them scarier and more interesting, but in this type of movie, I want my monster right out front where I can see it and often. I didn't get that with Them! which was why it was mostly just disappointing.

• Lucas M

  
  A Great horror film with a wonderful screenplay and a message anti-war that gonna fascinate the audience, until the people that in beginning don't expect too much. Fresh.

• Mister C

  
  The hallmark of the great monster movies of the 1950's is one of the best from that genre. "Them!",a chiller about giant mutant ants terrorizing a nearby town that was so good, initial efforts to film it in color and 3-D were scrapped. Tight and suspenseful today and it… More
  The hallmark of the great monster movies of the 1950's is one of the best from that genre. "Them!",a chiller about giant mutant ants terrorizing a nearby town that was so good, initial efforts to film it in color and 3-D were scrapped. Tight and suspenseful today and it was when audiences went to see it in 1954,it pits James Whitmore along with James Arness and Edmund Gwenn against a force that has razed a desert town. These giant ants were scary......very scary indeed.

• AJ V

  
  Watch out! What is it? Oh, those are just ants... This movie is silly, and started the trend of giant creatures attacking people, which was a popular theme in the fifties, mostly for the spectacle of it. Not a great movie, but pretty cool looking.

• Anthony L

  
  One of the first and one of the best Atomic monster movies from the 50's. I'm very fond of these movies and was quite disgruntled at a recent screening where the audience laughed and jeered throughout. It was like watching people make fun of an old man just because he… More
  One of the first and one of the best Atomic monster movies from the 50's. I'm very fond of these movies and was quite disgruntled at a recent screening where the audience laughed and jeered throughout. It was like watching people make fun of an old man just because he couldn't keep up and it made me feel sad. Although the effects etc are dated, they are still based on creative and intelligent ideas. At least it didn't have a gratuitous love story going on and the gi-ants were not defeated by teenagers, it tapped into a very real paranoia of the time. B-movie brilliance!

• jay n

  
  Enjoyable earnest for it's day, now campy, sci-fi thriller about giant ants. Well directed and played completely straight by a cast of familiar actors with no sense of irony which makes it all the better. Edmund Gwenn is marvelous as the scientist with all the answers.

• Stella D

  
  the original 'giant monsters caused by radiation' film from the 50's. the creatures look fake of course but it's still fun. a big influence on spielberg among others

• Dean !

  
  A very good B movie film about giant ants!

• xGary X

  
  Classic 50s B-movie in which the ever reliable atom bomb spawns a plague of oversized ants bent on the destruction of humanity. The scenes in which the US army invade the ants underground passageways to destroy them is actually rather well done, and it was obviously a big influence on… More
  Classic 50s B-movie in which the ever reliable atom bomb spawns a plague of oversized ants bent on the destruction of humanity. The scenes in which the US army invade the ants underground passageways to destroy them is actually rather well done, and it was obviously a big influence on James Cameron's Aliens.

• Matthew Y

  
  At the time of its release Them! was an incredible success but no one thought much beyond its high-concept giant-ant creature feature fest. To think it would be one of the more well known films of 1954 would have been a ridiculous notion then. The Greatest Show on Earth was a… More
  At the time of its release Them! was an incredible success but no one thought much beyond its high-concept giant-ant creature feature fest. To think it would be one of the more well known films of 1954 would have been a ridiculous notion then. The Greatest Show on Earth was a spectacle in its time, a star studded crowd-pleaser that set the box-office world on fire and was beloved by all who saw it. How do we look back on this film today? Not nearly as fondly. Time, creative advancements and general changes in taste and appeal have crippled the films reputation to a bit of a punch-line. Why than has a film like Them! which by all rights should be lost and forgotten is a sea of likewise low-budget Sci-Fi fair not only endured the years but has strengthened it's reputation and appeal? Difficult to say. Even more difficult is how one should judge it. If I were in 1954 I'm not sure I'd give Them! a positive review. Even in present day I can't see myself recommending the film to anyone as a "Hey watch this film, I bet you'll like it". Is its appeal only for cinema snobs and Sci-Fi junkies who enjoy it only for its nostalgia appeal? Lots of questions ran through my mind as I watched this 90+ minute film which does showcase solid effects for its day (earned an academy award nomination for them) and a graciously more talented cast then you'd ever expect in a film like this. Them! is easily the best of the comparable films from its day, but that's not saying much. I don't think it has a legitimate audience anymore but I just can't force myself to give it a rotten rating.

• Francisco G

  
  Probably one of the best creature flicks from the 50s, it still holds to this date with a very good script, smart allegories (the ant documentary scene is still spectacular), good ambiance, adequate acting and tight pacing. Obviously the monstrosities are a bit laughable now but… More
  Probably one of the best creature flicks from the 50s, it still holds to this date with a very good script, smart allegories (the ant documentary scene is still spectacular), good ambiance, adequate acting and tight pacing. Obviously the monstrosities are a bit laughable now but fortunently they're only used here and there and the main focus is still on the story and nuclear paranoia the USA were living.

• MJS M

  
  Recently I?ve been playing a videogame called Fallout 3, which takes place in a post apocalyptic wasteland which has sort of a 1950s aesthetic to it. One of the side quests in the game involved fighting off fire birthing ants, this mission is called ?Those!? I knew what this was a… More
  Recently I?ve been playing a videogame called Fallout 3, which takes place in a post apocalyptic wasteland which has sort of a 1950s aesthetic to it. One of the side quests in the game involved fighting off fire birthing ants, this mission is called ?Those!? I knew what this was a reference to, but I hadn?t actually seen the movie. Oddly enough, that night I noticed the film was playing on TCM, naturally I had to tune in. This is without a doubt the definitive giant radioactive ant movie, for whatever that?s worth. The effects are bad and the symbolism is hardly subtle, but it has a decent atmosphere and it is emblematic of what sci-fi/horror films from the 50s were all about. Compare it to Godzilla and it doesn?t seem that great, compare it to the average MST3K fare from the era and it doesn?t look that bad.

• alan j

  
  Solid acting especially by Whitmore can't escape the silly premise set forth..a terrific beginning quickly deteriorates once the giant ants show themsleves. From that point, the mystery and suspense factor vanishes...all that is missing is a giant boot to squash the insects.… More
  Solid acting especially by Whitmore can't escape the silly premise set forth..a terrific beginning quickly deteriorates once the giant ants show themsleves. From that point, the mystery and suspense factor vanishes...all that is missing is a giant boot to squash the insects. Better call the Orkin man!

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