Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (September 9, 2025)
Although many people seem to view the 1950s as idyllic, Hollywood’s offerings touch on the era’s many fears. In addition to the constant terror of the Soviets in particular and Communism in general, the “nuclear age” spawned many a nightmare as well.
Movies reflected this in a variety of ways. In the sci-fi realm, 1954’s Them! looked at concerns about how atomic weapons could alter creatures.
In the New Mexico desert, locals either end up dead or missing. To investigate, police Sgt. Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) partners with FBI agent Bob Graham (James Arness).
When they discover a mysterious footprint, they bring in US Department of Agriculture scientists Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) and his daughter Dr. Patricia Medford (Joan Weldon). Before long, they find out that nuclear blasts created a species of gigantic ants that terrorize the territory and create a threat to mankind as a whole.
If you go into Them! with the expectation of campy action, the end product will occasionally bring what you anticipate, but not to a marked degree. While it bears the marks of its era, Them! fares better than one might suspect.
In particular, it builds well and creates an appropriate sense of danger. The mystery develops in a manner that forms a creepy vibe and allows the tale to evolve naturally.
Once the authorities discover the mutated insects, we get a mix of action and detective work as our leads track escaped queen ants. While these moments still keep our attention, viewers who expect lots of insect-related violence will encounter disappointment.
The culprit becomes obvious: a lack of money to fund the necessary effects work to allow enormous bugs to attack humans. This means that Them! becomes chattier than genre fans might prefer and it sticks characters indoors a lot as well.
On one hand, I think the movie probably needs more action than it delivers. We really don’t spend much time with the “them” in the title.
Nonetheless, I feel the fact the film doesn’t actually show the monsters too much probably benefits it in the end. This creates a better sense of tension and it hides the not-very-good effects.
Granted, I view the ant puppets via the POV of 70-plus years of filmmaking advances. As such, I don’t know how convincing these elements seemed in 1954.
Nonetheless, I suspect the answer was probably “not very convincing”. Even by mid-1950s standards, the giant ants don’t look awful but they don’t really work either.
This means that the tale works better with their impact and presence implied rather than shown. While I can understand disappointment from viewers who desired more overt action, the tension that arrives works.
I like the cast of Them! as well. We get a mix of solid professionals who almost kind of maybe wink at the camera but they tend to take the material just seriously enough for it to work.
In particular, Gwenn brings charm to his role as the lead scientist. The others seem a little less expressive but they do fine.
Do I view Them! as a classic? No, as it suffers too much from the drawbacks of its era to really excel.
Still, I feel it provides a surprisingly effective bit of atomic-era monster horror. Them! manages enough drama and intrigue to turn into an engaging affair.
Footnote One: in one scene, the leads venture into an underground any nest and use flamethrowers to take down some of the inhabitants. If this scene didn’t influence parts of 1986’s , I’ll eat a mutated bug.
Footnote Two: movie buffs will recognize the legendary “Wilhelm Scream” a few times during the film. While not the earliest use of that now-cliché bit of audio, it comes early in its existence.
