Invasion of the Body Snatchers (NR, 1956)

common sense media says

Talky, tame original sci-fi study in paranoia.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there are multiple versions and remakes of this movie on video, of which this original edition is the tamest. Others amped up the action, nudity/sexual content, and disturbing visuals considerably. This one might have received even a G rating under the early MPAA.

Positive messages: Even the alien pod people are pretty well behaved, conquering without overt violence.
Violence: Some scuffling, and discreet stabbings with hypodermic needles. A brief shot of an alien clone impaled with a pitchfork.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Social drinking and cigarette smoking. The main character, trying to warn of an alien attack, is accused of being drunk.

More on Invasion of the Body Snatchers

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the "message" in the film, which is often described as a warning against 1950s conformity and "McCarthyism." Do you think this is what the movie is trying to convey? Or is it more of an allegory about communist infiltration -- the complete opposite? Or is it likely the filmmakers didn't intend any deep message, and critics have just read their own interpretations into a groundbreaking creature-feature? If kids have seen the many different versions (and imitations) of Invasion of the Body Snatchers you can ask them which they liked best, and why, and perhaps turn them onto the original Jack Finney novel.

What's the story?

What's the story?

In the small California town of Santa Mira, local doctor Miles (Kevin McCarthy) returns home from a medical convention to hear of a strange hysteria sweeping the neighborhood. Certain children and adults are claiming that their parents or relatives are imposters, perfect in every physical detail, but just not the same. Then a friend of Miles' finds a strange male body -- not living, but not exactly "dead" either -- in his house. The unidentified, nondescript man, they notice, has no fingerprints. The thing disappears when the witnesses try to alert local police. In a few days, the same people who complained about the imposters tell Miles that they imagined it all, and everything is back to "normal." But not for Miles and his longtime platonic girlfriend Becky (Dana Wynter), who have seen giant seed pods disgorging human replicas in a greenhouse, and realize that this is an alien invasion and people are being replaced by emotionless duplicates. And it's spreading. Who can Miles and Becky trust, and who in the outside world will believe them?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Though equipped with the best title to ever grace a drive-in marquee, the original INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS is fairly atypical for a science-fiction/horror movie -- in that the idea underneath the material is a lot scarier than anything you see. In fact, laden with dialogue (that makes it feel longer than its brief running time), the movie might bore younger viewers -- or even grownups -- expecting more standard shock material. It's no surprise, really, that later talented filmmakers remade this multiple times, adding their own angles and twists (and more explicit content). Seen today, the 1956 film seems a bit stodgy and talky, and studio interference took much of the sting out of the ending. Still, horror-sci-fi fans speak of it with reverence.

The film studio never intended Invasion of the Body Snatchers to be a prestige production -- hence its short running time, designed for bargain-priced double features. Furthermore, executives insisted on adding an awkward prologue and epilogue in which Miles tells his strange story to authorities, to end the flick on an audience-pleasing positive note. Director Don Siegel would have preferred to finish with nobody listening to the hero's terrified warnings. Nonetheless, generations have come to embrace this flawed film as a classic, reading in messages galore about the dangers of social conformity in the Cold War era. Some have claimed it's about McCarthyism (would they have made that dubious association if the leading man's last name were different?). Others insist it's about communism, and the attitude in 1950s America that enemy infiltrators, who look just like you and me, could take over by stealth.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Republic Pictures Home Video
Director: Don Siegel
Cast: Carolyn Jones, Dana Wynter, Kevin McCarthy
Genre: Science Fiction
Run time: 80 minutes
Theatrical release: February 5, 1956
DVD release: June 1, 1998
MPAA Rating: NR

This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

Doc Kaos
parent of and 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 year old
 
Great for all ages.
A great old black and white sci-fi movie that can be watched by almost any age. A great conversation starter for those semi-deep conversations kids love. How do we know the cat is really the cat we started with!?

KinbJune
teen, 13 years old
 
The Best, Obviously
This was the best out of the 4 obviously sense it was the first. It is imaginative and quite scary even by reading the article. I suggest that you watch this in the morning with a friend and show emotion every 10 minutes, otherwise it will make them become paranoid of each other and go crazy.

dminer
parent
 
zombie night with the family ;)
1955 scary is not scary for kids in 2009 -- my 8 yr old says "it's cool and i liked it. it wasn't scary" - though i had to explain a bit more of the action- and my 10 yr old (who picked it out off the dvd shelf ) liked it even more. since they've seen so many 'zombie' stories on kids cartoons, i was able to call it 'the first zombie movie' so it had some context in their world.

Spielberg00
teen, 14 years old
 
THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 1978 REMAKE. Very graphic for a PG rating.
My rating: PG-13 [borderline with R] for some disturbing images, nudity, violence and gore. Positive Messages & Role Models: 0.5/5 - Very few can even remotely be considered positive. Violence: 4/5 - Infrequent (unless you count the pervasive discussion), but when it comes up, it's intense. Most noticeably, disturbing and gross images of bodies wrapped in foam; and a scene in which a man graphically axes through the head of a man who has been abducted, with blood shown. Sex: 3.5/5 - Bodies wrapped in foam show exposed breasts, though not graphically. Also, in the last few scenes, a woman walks around completely nude, and we see her from the waist up. Milder examples, also, such as a few brief kisses. Language: 1.5/5 - Nothing stands out. Consumerism: 0/5 - No problem. Drinking & Drugs: 1/5 - Nothing noticeable.

MovieFan777
teen, 16 years old
 
When Terror Grows......Don't Sleep!!!!
This is the best Sci-Fi film of all time! Everything about this film is perfect. The acting is good, the story is amazing, and the film truly makes you have second thoughts about the people around you! I really don't understand why this website doesn't like it, when everyone else loves it. Well it doesn't matter the websites wrong, this film is the best!

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