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Most people who are aware of Them! probably think of it as a typical monster movie about horrible creatures that invade the city. A poster that advertised the movie summed up this view, promising audiences a "horror-horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing up from the earth's mile-deep catacombs."

But Them!, and its gruesome depiction of giant ants with a taste for human flesh, is one of the masterpieces of 1950s popular culture, offering an unnerving depiction of modern society. The reaction it evokes in audiences isn't only over something that is obviously monstrous and unnatural or over the prospect of being turned into a picnic lunch by oversized ants. In addition, the movie draws us in by revealing something disturbing about human nature and the inner reaches of the mind.

If you are prepared to be enlightened -- and disturbed -- by the movie's dark vision, click The Story to begin your journey.

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