Back in 1956, an independent film came along that ushered in the era of paranoia-themed science fiction. It managed to do what few films at the time could, which is capture America’s fears about the Cold War so splendidly that it became an iconic part of pop culture, influencing nearly everything that came after it. The movie was so perfect, that it was hard to imagine a remake capturing the same magic, but in 1978 that’s exactly what happened. Now, more than 40 years later, what’s been dubbed by many the “greatest sci-fi horror remake of all time” is definitely worth revisiting on Prime Video.
Premiering on December 22, 1978, Invasion of the Body Snatchers served as not only a remake of the classic 50s movie of the same name, but a fresh interpretation of Jack Finney’s 1955 novel, The Body Snatchers. It updated things for a modern world, switching the setting from a small town to the hustle and bustle of San Francisco, raising the stakes for what was to come. Rather than play on America’s fears about the Cold War, it took themes of the day like psychotherapy and individualism, dropping them into a post-Watergate-era film that was as much about emotional detachment as it was about aliens invading earth.
Bolstered by an incredible cast that includes Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy, Invasion of the Body Snatchers also features one of the greatest endings in cinema history. Though the moratorium on spoilers has long since passed, we won’t ruin it for those that have never seen it, but let’s just say that you’ll never in a million years see this one coming. Though it certainly ended the movie on a more somber note, its shock value still resonates to this day. Check out the synopsis for Invasion of the Body Snatchers below:
“Matthew Bennell Sutherland) assumes that when a friend (Adams) complains of her husband’s strange mood, it’s a marital issue. However, he begins to worry as more people report similar observations. His concern is confirmed when writer Jack Bellicec (Goldblum) and his wife (Cartwright) discover a mutated corpse. Besieged by an invisible enemy, Bennell must work quickly before the city is consumed.”
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ Received Two Other Inferior Remakes
Like with any classic piece of literature, the 1956 and 1978 versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers aren’t the only two movies that were made from Finney’s novel. Two other adaptations were created years later, with the first being the 1993 movie, Body Snatchers, which starred the likes of Gabrielle Anwar, Billy Wirth, Terry Kinney, Meg Tilly, Christine Elise, R. Lee Ermey, and Forest Whitaker. Departing heavily from the novel, it’s not a bad movie per se, but compared to the other two it doesn’t stand a chance.
Then there’s the 2007 film, The Invasion. What can we say about this disaster that hasn’t already been said? Starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, it was plagued by studio interference, the removal of key elements which made the ’56 and ’78 movies so good, and an ending that wrapped everything up in a neat little bow and contradicted everything that came before it. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this one.
Instead, be sure to check out the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which is now streaming on Prime Video. If you want to relive all the Cold War paranoia of the 1956 original, it’s currently available on MGM+.
- Release Date
-
December 22, 1978
- Runtime
-
116 minutes
- Director
-
Philip Kaufman