Written by: Jack Finney (novel), W.D. Richter (screenplay)
Directed by: Philip Kaufman
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy
Rated: PG
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it. Read my previous movie reviews!
Plot
One by one the human race is being replaced by clones devoid of emotion.
Verdict
This movie feeds your paranoia. If someone acts weird it's because aliens have taken their body. This nails the mood and taps into fears of strangers and the things that could attack when you're asleep.
This does body snatching right. It's less horror and more a thriller.
Watch it.
Review
While I haven't seen the original, this has to be a remake that at least matches the original. It builds a sense of unease from the beginning. Even the sounds play an integral part. In one of the first scenes a swing set creates an unnerving grinding sound with the chain against the pole.
Despite the age, this movie doesn't feel dated, except for wardrobe stylings, cars, and music. The story is solid, though it's been copied many times since. Even the effects are good, and this movie is thirty-eight years old.
Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) is a slightly over the top health inspector. He argues about capers and rat turds before bringing a sample back to the lab for analysis. I don't know if health inspectors are this will equipped, but I like that the movie doesn't center around a bland every man.
Aliens are replacing humans one by one with emotionless clones. At first everyone is dismissive. Matthew's coworker Elizabeth claims her boyfriend isn't himself. It looks like him, but it isn't. Of course no one believes her.
Once Matthew begins to believe, it's too late. No one else believes him because they've already been snatched. He's erratic, but the world is calm and serene. This movie taps into the weird people you see in everyday life. What if there is more to them than just being weird? You should be paranoid.
When do the unseen aliens come to get you? At night of course. If you fall asleep they'll clone you. As Matthew and Elizabeth are getting desperate, Elizabeth finds speed and asks him how many they should take. He tells her five.
The world is literally against them as the city is mostly pod people, hunting down anyone that hasn't been cloned. The conclusion is great, to say more would ruin it.
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