The story of The Being unfolds in a small Idaho town
The Being opens on a premise that's as straightforward as it is unsettling: toxic waste dumping has turned a young boy into a horrible mutant monster. What follows is a race against time as the creature begins systematically killing off townspeople, leaving a trail of grisly murders in its wake. The local police chief and a government scientist team up to stop the carnage before the entire community falls victim to this toxic creation. It's a high-concept horror setup wrapped in low-budget execution—the kind of film that doesn't overthink its premise but instead barrels forward with pure creature-feature momentum. The tagline says it all: "The ultimate terror has taken form."
Behind the making of The Being and its cast pedigree
The Being marked Jackie Kong's directorial debut in 1981, though the film's release reached wider audiences in 1983. Kong wrote and directed this creature feature with a cast that reads like a who's who of character actors and entertainment figures from that era. Martin Landau—best known for his roles in high-profile productions—anchors the film alongside José Ferrer, Dorothy Malone, and Ruth Buzzi, the legendary comedian from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. The production came from Bill Osco Productions, and Osco himself appears in the film under two different credits: "Rexx Coltrane" in the opening and "Johnny Commander" in the closing (a quirk that speaks to the film's behind-the-scenes personality). Clocking in at 81 minutes, The Being doesn't waste time—it's a lean, mean creature feature that respects the viewer's time, if not always their patience. The film never achieved major box-office success, and critical reception was mixed at best, but it's exactly the kind of genre curiosity that's found a second life on streaming platforms and among horror enthusiasts who appreciate its earnest, no-frills approach to monster-movie mayhem.
What makes The Being stand out as a creature-feature artifact
Honestly, what's striking about The Being isn't that it's a "good" film by conventional standards—the IMDb rating of 4.9/10 tells you something about mainstream critical consensus. What's interesting is how the film commits fully to its premise without apology. The performances, particularly Landau's work as the determined authority figure trying to make sense of the chaos, give the material a gravitas that cheaper creature features sometimes skip entirely. There's a sincerity here that can't be faked, even when the execution falters. The film's central conflict—man versus nature, or more accurately, man versus his own industrial negligence—taps into a genuine anxiety of the early 1980s, when toxic-waste stories dominated headlines. What I keep coming back to is how the film doesn't try to be clever about its monster. It's not a metaphor wrapped in subtext. It's a kid turned into a killing machine by poison, and the town has to deal with that reality. The thing nobody mentions is that this kind of straightforward horror setup, executed with commitment and without irony, actually has a weird power to it—even when the special effects don't quite land and the pacing occasionally stutters.
Where to stream The Being online today
The Being is currently available on major OTT services, and Movie OTT tracks where you can watch it right now. Rather than hunting across multiple platforms yourself, the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page shows you exactly which streaming service has The Being available in your region. Streaming rights shift regularly, so what's on one platform this month might move to another next quarter—that's why checking Movie OTT's real-time availability tracker saves you the frustration of searching blindly. If you're in the mood for a creature feature from the early 1980s, you can jump in immediately without the hassle of clicking through a dozen different apps to find it.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed The Being?
Jackie Kong wrote and directed The Being in her feature directorial debut. The film was released theatrically in 1981 and reached wider audiences in 1983.
Q: What's The Being about?
The Being follows a young boy who's transformed into a mutant monster by toxic waste dumped in his small Idaho town. A police chief and government scientist must stop the creature before it kills everyone.
Q: Where can I watch The Being?
The Being streams on major OTT platforms. Check the "Where to Watch" widget above to see which service currently has it available in your area.
Q: Is The Being based on a true story?
No, The Being is a fictional creature feature. However, it was inspired by real-world anxieties about toxic-waste dumping, which was a major environmental concern in the early 1980s.
Q: How long is The Being?
The film runs 81 minutes, making it a brisk, no-filler creature feature that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Final thoughts on The Being as a cult-classic curiosity
The Being isn't a masterpiece, and it doesn't pretend to be. What it is: a committed, unpretentious creature feature from the early 1980s that does exactly what it sets out to do. If you're hunting for vintage horror that doesn't take itself too seriously but takes its premise seriously enough, this one's worth ninety minutes of your time. The cast brings real professionalism to the material, the premise is solid, and there's something oddly refreshing about a film that just wants to tell a monster story without meta-commentary or irony. Movie OTT makes it easy to find—stream it on a Friday night, grab some snacks, and let yourself slide back into the B-movie sensibility of early 1980s horror cinema.
