Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones, Jean Willes, Ralph Dumke, Virginia Christine, Tom Fadden, Everett Glass, Sam Peckinpah
Directed by: Don Siegel
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
1956

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A doctor (Kevin McCarthy) uncovers a deadly mystery when he begins investigating strange claims that certain people in his town aren't who they look, sound, and act like they are.

Review:

Tim: Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a classic 1950s science fiction horror film. It entertains while introducing a chilling threat to humanity. I found the film to be competently made, so it holds our attention. It's never quite able to pack the knockout punch to move into greatness, but it gets quite close. There's something inherently timeless about this film and you can easily see why it's been so influential for so many years.

In this film, the alien invasion of humanity starts in a small town. The setting is key- small towns in the 1950s had the illusion of perfect safety, peaceful existence, tranquility. "Bad" things rarely happened in small towns (at least, they weren't much acknowledged). The idea that an alien species would create doppelgangers of humans and use a small town as their launching pad towards world domination was chilling and frightful. This contrast is well shown in the film- the residents all know each other. Their existence is filled with friendship and community. There's inherent trust weaved into the fabric of their society. So, the events of the film feel monumental, as that trust quickly unravels. You can't trust your neighbor, or even your family. Anyone could be replaced with a pod person (which they're never called in this film). That gives the characters this unrelenting sense of paranoia that pervades the back half of the film. We get caught up in that, too. Now, to be fair, the movie can't quite surprise us. Even the more "surprising" moments have been telegraphed early enough that they seem inevitable. I wasn't expecting that- by creating a bookend at the beginning and end of the film, it renders the events in the middle a bit too predictable. We know where the doctor will end up, so his journey feels inevitable, never really surprising. Still, it's a journey well worth taking.

I thought the cast was fine, but there weren't really any standouts. Kevin McCarthy works well in the lead role, although his performance never felt remarkable. He felt like a prototypical 50s, second tier leading man here. He likely wouldn't have a massive Hollywood career and eventually would move into being a character actor. That's the kind of performance he gives here. He never hurts the film, his performance is fine, but even when he's putting in the most effort, it never feels effortless. Dana Wynter feels similar. I have no overt faults with her performance- she's effective in the role. It's a typical, second fiddle role that you often saw for women in the 50s. She had the talent to do more and add more to the film, but she's kept in the margins. Her performance mostly works, though, and you do care about her character. The rest of the cast felt decent, they played their parts well enough. As a whole, though, you do wish the film had a bit more star power and a bit more talent in the cast. This is only a minor complaint, though- the cast mostly works well.

The story is really effective, adapted well by the 1954 novel The Body Snatchers. It's kind of a perfect story for the 1950s- safety and security shattered by something beyond the understanding of humanity. The idea that alien pods could land on Earth and mimic people is a frightening proposition. The film never clearly explains how it works, though. The pods need people to sleep to copy their brainwaves or something, but it's not well explained how or what happens to their bodies afterwards. That felt unnecessarily ambiguous to me. Still, it's a terrific concept and Siegel brings it to vivid life on screen. It's wonderful if you're not interested in asking a lot of questions.

The film's visual effects are solid. The giant alien pods just look so wrong, I loved the visuals of them piled up in the back of trucks, ready to spread their invasion across California before spreading across the world. The unfinished pod people offered some nice visuals too- the perfectly constructed, no finger prints, lifeless bodies remained in my mind long after seeing the film. There's a terrific sequence of the pod people meeting in the town square that felt so meticulous in its organization, it's subtle but a wonderful showcase that these people aren't human. Siegel really did a nice job of crafting this film.

I'd stop short of calling Invasion of the Body Snatchers a great movie, but it's a thoroughly good one. It's an influential 50s sci-fi horror film that still holds up today. It's definitely well crafted and memorable. Siegel delivers a really special film here. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Creature Walks Among Us, Sink the Bismark!