If you need an 80 minute science fiction film on Amazon Prime, this one is choice.
In the small town of Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell begins to notice something strange happening to the town’s inhabitants. Aside from a string of cancelled doctor’s appointments, several people begin to believe that their loved ones are not longer who they believe them to be.
Scary, right? Soon, Dr. Bennell’s friend finds a dead body who looks almost identical to him. Our reasonable doctor is suspicious, but remains calm in front of his recently divorced love interest, Becky.
Before long, the gang discovers pods in a greenhouse that are spitting out bodies that could very well be their clones. It all comes together! Aliens!
Becky clone! Apparently, members of the town are harvesting these pods, and when you fall asleep, the clone absorbs your mind, including your memories and thoughts, and disposes of your original body. But the pod people can’t feel emotions, so obviously we don’t want to become them.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is released in the 1950s, meaning that every bit of it has been examined in relation to McCarthyism. Most critics agree that the alien invasion is a metaphor for the “loss of individuality” under the threat of communism. Both the director as well as the author of the original novel have stated that this interpretation is not intended, but the paranoia of outside invasion as well as the desire to remain autonomous in the face of dehumanization are ripe for analysis.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers wasn’t critically acclaimed until decades later, and now holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
One of my all time favourite spooky movies. Saw it as a young kid and it scared the hell out of me!
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