In Them!, two New Mexico state police officers, Sergeant Ben Peterson and trooper Ed Blackburn, are on a routine job driving through the desert highway, when they suddenly see a little girl wandering in the middle of nowhere. Wearing a dressing gown and clutching a doll, the girl appears dazed, confused and alone, and is non-responsive.
After placing the girl in their car, Ben and Ed drive back down the highway, believing the girl must have come from a nearby dwelling. A short while later they come upon an abandoned trailer, which has been ransacked with no signs of life.
Later that night, the officers visit the local general store, only to discover it too has been ransacked. What’s more, the store’s owner has been killed.
Ben leaves Ed at the store to secure the crime scene, but as soon as Ben is away, Ed is attacked by an unseen assailant. This assailant is something almost out of this world, but in truth, its origins are Earthly and its existence is very unsettling.
Released in 1954, Them! is a black-and-white sci-fi horror movie directed by Gordon Douglas. The film stars James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, and James Arness (as well as an uncredited Leonard Nimoy if you pay enough attention), and is one of the first creature features from the era of atomic monster movies, aka the 1950s.
For those less than familiar with Them!, the film centres its story around giant man-eating ants, which have mutated thanks to radiation from an atomic bomb. Due to their size, their taste for human flesh, and their ability to reproduce on mass, the ants pose a threat to humanity, which is all terrifying stuff.
But is this film, which is 70 years’ old this year, actually terrifying? By today’s standards no, but as 1950s monster movies go, Them! is easily the best of the bunch.
If you were to sit down and watch a ‘50s monster movie, this would be the one to watch. Them! has a lot going for it, is creepy in places, and is arguably the pinnacle amongst its peers.
The reason Them! worked in 1954 and still works in 2024 is because the film takes its subject matter seriously. Sure, the picture is about giant ants, but at no point does it slip into parody or play like a ropey B-movie (even though it is a B-movie of sorts).
Perhaps most important of all, the dialogue and the acting doesn’t get too melodramatic in Them!. Too many films of this era, and of this ilk, lean heavily into melodrama to heighten the peril, but Them! tries its best to avoid this.
Instead, the film places its focus on delivering believable human characters. It also plays up the sci-fi and horror angles to deliver its thrills.
In fact, both the opening act and the climactic finale are very sci-fi and horror heavy. These two sections of the movie are also where Them! is at its strongest.
Highlights of Them! include the first reveal of an atomic ant; the brief scene in which ants attack a ship; and all of the set-up with the police officers finding the catatonic young girl. There is also the scene in which the girl comes out of her trance to utter a chilling word to describe the ants.
For those wondering, the word she utters is “THEM!”. During this scene, the girl cries out in terror, teases the arrival of the monsters, and of course, gives the movie its title.
Outside of all this, Them! has smart direction, a great atmosphere and an even tone. The tone remains consistent throughout, even during the mid-section when the pace sags a bit, and it demonstrates a commitment to unnerve the audience.
As with all monster movies of the ‘50s, Them! does suffers from a lack of action, but when the creatures are on screen they work well. It’s no surprise Them! was nominated for an Academy Award for its special effects, and even though it didn’t win (it lost out to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), these effects still look decent.
All these years on, Them! stands the test of time because director Gordon Douglas took the project seriously, and Warner Bros. (the studio behind Them!) invested in it properly. Many atomic age monster movies would follow, but few were as strong as this one, and even in its 70th year this remains true.
Should you wish to watch Them!, the movie is available to rent or buy on video on demand platforms. Them! is also currently available on Blu-ray.
—
—
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment