PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Like most horror films I’ve seen, my first viewing was as a child. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) was no exception. Like Jaws (1975), I could tell you exactly where I was and who I was with when I first saw it.
Based on the 1955 novel, The Body Snatchers, by Jack Finney, the film centers on a small town being invaded by aliens. Though their not your typical green men, these aliens are much scarier. These extraterrestrials take the form of humans.
A year later, Walter Wagner Productions got the film rights and made one of the most significant horror films of all time. Released on February 5, 1956, the film was directed by Don Siegel (Riot in Cell Block 11 1954) and starring Kevin McCarthy (Death of a Salesman 1951) and Dana Wynter (On the Double 1961).
Though the film is about an alien invasion, the meaning and themes are deeper than that. Being that this was the 1950s, it was a subtle hint on Communism and McCarthyism, with the Communists being the invaders and hiding right under our noses. The film was also met with mass hysteria and distrust, of not only the government but of everyday people.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the pinnacle of the science-fiction genre. The film is so impactful it is now in the United States Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
I absolutely adore this film. Not only is it one my favorite horror films, but it’s also one my favorite movies ever. The panic the characters feel resonates with you, making you ask the same questions they do. Who can I trust? Who is real?
It’s a film that will last, forever because topics such as these will always be brought up. It goes deeper than an alien invasion; it’s a look at humans during a true panic. And I don’t think there’s another movie that has created that feeling of dread better since Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Be careful who you trust. Don’t go to sleep. Always look over your shoulder. They’re here already. And you’re next.
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