A thrilling update of a sci-fi classic.
A
remake of the
1956 classic - based on the novel
The Body Snatchers by
Jack Finney - about an alien invasion in which the extraterrestrials harvest humans and replace them with emotionless doppelgängers. The original film was often read as a political allegory for either the “
Red Scare” (i.e., what would happen if the United States was taken over by Communists), or the dangers of conformity (i.e., everyone speaking the same, acting the same, living the same), depending on which side of the political spectrum a viewer aligned themselves with.
Set in San Francisco, the 1978 iteration, a deeply underrated sci-fi horror thriller, seems to reflect the cultural anxieties of the era: the fear of a rapidly changing country, perpetually dividing in demographics and ideology, like cells undergoing meiosis. It’s an anxiety that’s largely followed us into the 21st century. Relentlessly paranoid, the film seems to ask, whether it be neighbors, friends, or spouses, how well do you really know those around you?
“And if you don’t care about any of that then guess what it’s also one of
Jeff Goldblum’s early supporting roles and no one can turn down Jeff Goldblum,” says science.
Comments
Post a Comment