Them!

1954
Approved
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

25K

YOUR RATING

Play trailer3:17

2 Videos

99 Photos

Kaiju Monster Horror Horror Sci-Fi

The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

25K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 3 nominations total

Mrs. Lodge
(as Mary Ann Hokanson)

Don Shelton

Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards

Fess Parker

Alan Crotty

Olin Howland

Jensen
(as Olin Howlin)

Richard Bellis

Mike Lodge
(uncredited)

John Beradino

Patrolman Ryan
(uncredited)

Robert Berger

Patrolman Sutton
(uncredited)

Oscar Blank

Alcoholic Ward Patient
(uncredited)

Willis Bouchey

Official at D.C. Meeting
(uncredited)

Richard Boyer

Trooper #1
(uncredited)

Director
- Gordon Douglas
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The flamethrowers used in the movie were standard World War II weapons and were loaned by the U.S. Army. The actors handling the weapons were World War II combat veterans, who had used them in battle.

Goofs
Sergeant Peterson and Bob Graham are seen throwing cyanide gas bombs into the ant nest without wearing gas masks, only wearing gear to protect against the heat. Cyanide gas is so deadly to humans that this simply would not have happened that way.

Quotes
The Ellinson Girl: [screaming hysterically] AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!

Crazy credits
Although the movie was shot in black and white, the film title at the opening credits appears blood red and blue. This was accomplished by Warner's Eastman Color process.

Alternate versions
A 2-3 minute segment following the projection sequence was excised from the film in the mid-1950s following a lawsuit from a real-life scientist whose name was used in the story for a fictional explanation of atomic energy effects on ants. The scene was removed from the negative and has not been restored though it has turned up in some collector's prints.

Connections
Edited into Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

User reviews286

Review

Featured review

8/10

Often imitated, rarely bettered.

Weird deaths are occurring in the New Mexico desert, it is revealed to be the work of giant mutated ants born out of the "A Bomb" tests that took place there. Trouble escalates to the big city of Los Angeles when one of the giant queen ants escapes to L.A. and starts laying eggs that could lead to the end of mankind as we know it.

This is a cautionary tale about scientific tampering fused with a Cold War theme of destroying a threat to the country. Boasting some wonderful scenes such as the first desert encounter (cloaked in a sandstorm) and the final underground battle, Them! is a truly enjoyable viewing experience. It oozes the right amount of paranoia that became ever more prominent as the nuclear age began grow. The puppetry and special effects on show is of a very high standard for the time (well done Academy Award Nominee Ralph Ayres), and the direction from Gordon Douglas is one of the better efforts in the genre.

The tight story vanquishes any gripes about the plausibility factor, while the acting is, perhaps given the type of genre piece it is, of a surprisingly good standard. With James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, and Joan Weldon giving it a bit of oopmh. It went on to become Warner Brothers highest grossing film in 1954, and it's really not hard to see why. Because this firmly stands up as one of the better films of what is sadly a much maligned genre. 8/10