June 19, 2018
What if everyone you knew and everyone you loved suddenly changed? You cannot place your finger on it, but they are different. They look the same but they are not the same. This is what happens when alien spores (?) land on Earth and begin to take over the bodies of Earth's inhabitants. This film really is a sci-fi horror masterpiece. It includes great performances from Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonardy Nimoy, and Jeff Goldblum (playing the neurotic character he has perfected over time). Also, if you look carefully, towards the beginning of the film there is a cameo of Robert Duvall as a priest on a swing. There is something off-putting about a priest swinging on a swing. Also, Kevin McCarthy (Network and The Twilight Zone Movie) has a cameo as a frightened running man who is killed and ignored by the police.
The special effects are all practical and are expertly executed. As the spores take over bodies they cling to the human while pods create identical copies. These identical copies begin as cocooned babies and eventually grow to maturity. The filament that covers the body and the slightly off versions of these actors is exceedingly creepy. Also, the way the "copies" behave adds an extra element of creepiness. They behave almost normally, but just off enough to create an unsettling atmosphere. This atmosphere is heightened by the terrifying sounds and facial gestures they make when they are panicked. Also, the alien spores make a mistake and there is a jump scare scene with a man dog copy.
Creepy huh?
Overall, the film acts as an allegory for brainwashing. Written in 1955 during the height of the Cold War, perhaps it was originally intended as part of the Second Red Scare, but it could really work for any attempt at controlling a group of people, similar to They Live. What do you do when the entire system is against you and the options are fighting a losing battle or simply going to sleep? Red Pill or Blue Pill?
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