Swamp Thing is a 1982 American superhero film written and directed by Wes Craven, based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson.

It tells the story of scientist Alec Holland (Ray Wise) who is transformed into the monster known as Swamp Thing (Dick Durock) through laboratory sabotage orchestrated by the evil Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan).

[3] After a scientist is mysteriously killed while assisting a top-secret bioengineering project, government worker Alice Cable arrives at the bogs to serve as his replacement.

Alice immediately notices that one of the team's swamp sensors has malfunctioned and Harry Ritter reveals that her predecessor was attempting to repair it when he was killed.

After noting the disappearance of one of their workers, the group hears a loud bang and returns to the laboratory, where Linda shows off her recent breakthrough: a glowing, plant-based concoction with explosive properties.

When Arcane shoots Linda for attempting to escape with the formula, Alec grabs the beaker, but trips, causing the spilled chemicals to set him on fire.

Alice runs to a nearby gas station to telephone her employers for help; the operator connects her to Arcane, who, posing as Ritter, claims to have been called away from the site before the attack.

After revealing she stole Alec's last notebook, Alice waits for Ritter's return alongside the young gas station attendant, Jude, but Arcane's men arrive and chase her through the forest.

The Swamp Thing finds Jude's lifeless body and presses a hand against his head, creating a greenish glow which instantly revives him.

The Swamp Thing reveals that the formula does not produce strength, but instead amplifies a person's natural qualities, explaining that Bruno's timidity caused his diminished stature.

A beam of sunlight emitted through the door re-grows the Swamp Thing's missing arm, allowing the creature to free itself, Alice, and Bruno.

[9] The set features the 91-minute cut of the film presented in high definition widescreen format, along with bonus content including interviews with Adrienne Barbeau, Len Wein, and Reggie Batts, as well as commentary tracks with Wes Craven and makeup artist Bill Munn.

MVD Entertainment Group released an Ultra HD Blu-ray edition of Swamp Thing in 2023, which includes both versions of the film.

The site's critical consensus reads: "Unabashedly campy -- often to its detriment -- Swamp Thing is not without its charms, among them Adrienne Barbeau as the damsel in distress".

[16] PopMatters journalist J.C. Maçek III wrote: "As much fun as this film can be (and it often is), it's equally often difficult to ignore that Swamp Thing ultimately is, at core, a rubber-suit monster movie".

In 2009, Joel Silver planned to produce a reboot of the Swamp Thing film franchise from a story written by Akiva Goldsman.

[22] Adrienne Barbeau made a guest appearance in the episode "Long Walk Home" of DC Universe's 2019 Swamp Thing series.