Invasion of the Body Snatchers – 1956 – Sci-Fi, Horror
Directed by: Don Siegel
Written by: Daniel Mainwaring
Main Players: Kevin McCarthy; Dana Wynter; King Donovan; Carolyn Jones; Larry Gates
Brimming with tension, paranoia and psychological horror, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers tells of small-town doctor Miles Bennell (McCarthy) returning home after a trip and not all is right with the people around. He has several patients telling him strange stories about people acting as if they were not themselves. He has a backlog of even more people begging to come in. The local medical professionals decide it is some sort of shared delusion which is somehow contagious.
Miles begins to dig in, but then he is quickly distracted by an ex-flame Becky (Wynter) who happens to be back in town after 5 years and a quick marriage. The attraction is rekindled; however, the couple is quickly segued by Miles’ friend Jack (Donovan) and his wife Teddy (Jones). They have something that will turn the world upside down. Or… is this just part of the paranoia going around?
While this movie is definitely “of its time” and a modern audience will have to temper expectations and take it as a period piece, the story still works, the acting is pretty strong, and the creep factor remains. The special effects are used sparingly, but work surprisingly well. It never gets too cheesy, and the small-town setting is claustrophobic. While this movie has been remade quite a few times, this version remains the best to me.
Worth your time if classic movies are your vibe, or you are curious about where this story originated.
See This If You Liked:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978); The Thing from Another World; The Thing (1982); Night of the Living Dead (1968); They Live; The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Score:
7.5