Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1956

1h 20m

Sci-Fi

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky (Dana Wynter) and his friend Jack (King Donovan) soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.

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Critics Consensus

One of the best political allegories of the 1950s, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an efficient, chilling blend of sci-fi and horror.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

12/04/2014

4/5

"You fools! You're in danger! Can't you see? They're after you! They're after all of us!" It's one of the greatest lines in sci-fi movie history, from one of the greatest films, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

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Jonathan Romney

Observer (UK)

11/02/2014

5/5

Watch it in the cinema and you'll find yourself gazing warily at everyone else in your row.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

10/30/2014

5/5

A movie that can claim kinship with Alberto Cavalcanti's Went the Day Well? as well as The Matrix and Under the Skin.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

07/30/2024

6/10

It has some originality in its sci-fi horror premise about aliens, but it often remains situated on a soft, skin-deep surface that unfortunately never emerges from the sheath to interrogate post-war paranoia. [Full review in Spanish]

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

09/22/2022

Even today, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a rather wonderful alien thriller. Carrying both a devilish tension and undeniable charm, the film pulls audiences in with both great characters and filmmaking.

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Kimberly Pierce

Ticklish Business

05/01/2022

4.5/5

A dive into Invasion of the Body Snatchers shows how special this movie is... Whether it be though an examinations of the pods as a metaphor for communism, or... the downside of consumerism... this movie is a riveting example of timely 1950s cinema.

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Dave

10/18/2022

It was a blast to see this classic film on the big screen. It's a perfect creepy movie for Halloween season. I would have given the review five stars but the theater I saw it in chose to turn on the lights during the last five minutes of the film which ruined the atmosphere completely.

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Garrett B.

@gmoney637 Jun 3

It is a haunting Sci-Fi horror flick from the 1950’s.

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Christopher R

@RT33320041 May 8

A phenomenal, thought-provoking film with a horrifying concept.

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Noel L

@RT15930389 Jan 19

What a crazy thriller where you never know he can trust

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V H

@Theemrvern Nov 13

Great movie. It’s a sci fi so it still works in this day and age albeit black and white.

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Ted B.

@Movieaddicted Nov 12

4.0 stars; One of the top classic sci-fi films of all time. Its release was in the era of the big Red Scare, i.e. McCarthyism. The plot was pretty much an allegory of those times. I saw the original release, and it left me shaken after leaving the theater. The story was very original in concept and was very scary on the big screen. The opening scene of Kevin McCarthy running down the freeway screaming, "They're coming to get you, they're coming to get us all!" is one of the most harrowing openings to a motion picture ever. The original release is by far the best.

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Don Siegel

Director

Kevin McCarthy

Dr. Miles J. Bennell

Dana Wynter

Becky Driscoll

Carolyn Jones

Theodora "Teddy" Belicec

Larry Gates

Dr. Dan "Danny" Kauffman

King Donovan

Jack Belicec

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Synopsis

In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky (Dana Wynter) and his friend Jack (King Donovan) soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.

Director: Don Siegel
Producer: Walter Wanger
Screenwriter: Daniel Mainwaring
Production Co: Walter Wanger Productions, Inc.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 5, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 20m