Night 28: ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (1978)
This is part of the ‘31 Nights of Horror Classics’ series, which I’ll be doing for Halloween 2017. Every night of this month, I’ll be watching a horror film made before the 90s and I’ll be posting a short review here.
What would you do if you couldn’t distinguish friend from foe anymore? In whom would you trust? And how could you know if they’re really on your side?
After bringing a strange flower into her home, Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) starts noticing quite a few changes in her husband’s behavior. She turns to her friend Matthew (Donald Sutherland) for support, and he tries to find a logical explanation for it. Yet soon they discover that her spouse is not the only one acting strangely, as more people are coming forward with the same claims. Are citizens being replaced by alien duplicates? Or is it possible that it’s all just in their minds?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the few remakes I have on my list alongside the first page-to-screen adaptation it was based on. When I reviewed that 1956 version I was not that impressed. Too many important elements were left unexplained or got muddled in the transition from one medium to the other, and I was worried the ’78 adaptation would end up doing the same.
Still, Kaufman’s version takes the time to unravel every mystery in an engaging and intelligent way.
For example, one of the things that remained unclear for me in the previous film was how the parasite and the alien double worked in conjunction, as well as what happened with the original body. Likewise, I wanted to know more about how and why the characters arrived to certain conclusions. This version explores every plot point, choosing to show or hint instead of going for the easy route of falling for systematic exposition, but explaining nonetheless.
It also shows the development of the alien invasion through the eyes and experiences of interesting and likeable characters, using wonderful images that are both haunting and a pleasure to see. The effects, cinematography and sound design are also excellent, as they build a tense atmosphere that stays with you throughout the entire ride.
The monsters and events are genuinely terrifying. I cringed in horror quite a few times, I gasped, I shouted at the characters –a perk of watching it in my living room and not at the cinema-… I was absolutely engaged in what was happening!
A big part of why it works is because the characters have organic relationships with each other, as well as motives and personality traits that feel realistic. More than acting like empty shells, they behave and react as if they were actual people who you could meet anywhere. This makes their eventual destiny even more affecting.
The ending in particular hit me like a punch in the gut. It was an incredible twist that gets you even more after considering how the main character actually tries to do something about his predicament just a few scenes before.
If there is anything negative I could pinpoint, it would be the many questionable choices made by the main characters. Believe me when I say there are a lot of them!
Still, despite my frustration with some of their actions, the narrative plays out perfectly by the end. It’s an exciting and scary ride that is shot beautifully and takes its time to explore every aspect of the situation.
If you haven’t, make sure you give it a watch!
Grade: 9/10. Truly terrifying.
Scare Factor: quite scary.
Gore/Violence: a bit of both.
Nudity/Sexual Situations: some nudity.
Previous Night: ‘An American Werewolf in London’ (‘81)
Next up: ‘Fright Night’ (‘85)
