The 1978 Re-Make of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Amps Up the Creepiness and Suspense From the Original

1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a re-make of the 1956 classic science fiction-horror film of the same name. Where the original had the underlying metaphor of Cold War paranoia, the re-make ditches the subtext in favor of a more generally creepy and atmospheric vibe. Aliens are possessing the bodies of humans and walking around pretending to be the people they stole the bodies of, and, of course, in due time a handful of people catch on (played by a solid cast that includes Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy). We're given far more of the why in this version of the story which allows for some opportunities for the special effects to really shine. This, in tandem with the jittery score by Denny Zeitlin (surprisingly the only score he ever composed) and the haunting mood provided by Michael Chapman's cinematography, lands some truly intense and unsettling moments. The film is dizzying slow descent into madness and unease, increasingly becoming claustrophobic and confining.

Grade: B+