“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is a pioneer film to the sci-fi/horror genre. I’ve watched both the original and its 1978 remake; the latter of which remains an iconic and excellent watch.
The franchise would get another reboot in 2007 with “The Invasion.”
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and written by David Kajganich, “The Invasion” would feature not one, but two A-list stars, a recipe not often found for horror.
The film follows the basic plot structure of the 1956 original source material, with a few modern and unintentionally prescient elements.
Starts Strong
The world’s attention is drawn to a space shuttle that has crashed upon reentry to the Earth. Debris is scattered across the United States, and soon after, the populous begins to act strange. We follow a psychiatrist, Dr. Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman), as the events unfold.
Dr. Bennell is a single mother, divorced from a high-ranking CDC official (Jeremy Northam). Bennell has a young son (Jackson Bond), and romantic potential with Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) who loves conspiracy theories.
The citizens of Washington DC begin to act differently. They look the same but are aloof and emotionless. Loved ones suspect something is wrong, but lacking a tangible diagnosis, not much can be done. What we know is that the crashed shuttle has released spores onto the planet, and the alien invasion has already begun.
Star Power
Nicole Kidman is Hollywood royalty. We already know she can handle a film. We learned with “The Others” how well she can handle horror, and that continues here.
Dr. Carol Bennell is a modern woman, playfully scolding someone about her feminist ways. The character is our central focal point for the entire story, and Kidman is a delight to watch.
Most of the film is Bennell meandering about the city, trying to avoid detection by the aliens, and becoming more disheveled along the way.
You wouldn’t immediately equate the Aussie with horror, but she has done a few more movies that I will need to check out.
Daniel Craig became a star at this point and serves as an excellent counterpart to Kidman. Horror legend Veronica Cartwright who first appeared in “The Birds”
Prescient Story
I’m sure others have mentioned, but the spreading plague, government induced vaccines, and CDC involvement had me thinking of Covid.
And people not acting like themselves and quietly going insane had me thinking of a yet to occur political movement.
Not Bad, But Originals are Better
“The Invasion” is a fine movie. You’ll get great acting and a compelling plot. The story has been done before, and I would recommend checking out the prior versions first.
