Gore is certainly an important part of the horror genre, as many of the most iconic spooky movies in history rely on blood and guts to be effective. That being said, horror films are often too reliant on violence, which is only scary if put within the right context. Horror cinema can be just as effective when it leaves things up to the viewers’ imaginations, which tend to come up with far more horrifying prospects than anything that could be captured on the silver screen. Even though it has very little on-screen violence, the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the scariest movies ever made. Although the 1956 version was hailed as one of the better B-movies of its decade, it was still a film that was limited by the constraints of its era. The 1978 film acutely captures the horrific feeling of being watched by an unseen force that has malicious intentions.
What Is ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ About?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers explores a dying alien race as it attempts to repopulate on Earth by eliminating human life. Although this ambiguous alien race does not have the capacity to wage war against mankind, they take the form of parasitic creatures that can replace human beings without anyone noticing. The San Francisco Health Department scientist Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) begins to notice some unusual behavior in her boyfriend, Geoffrey Howell (Art Hindle), and suspects that he has been replaced by an imposter. After Geoffrey’s behavior grows more erratic, Elizabeth confers with her colleague Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), who begins to receive cryptic warnings about a pending threat.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers director Phillip Kaufman understood that less is more when exploring a conspiracy like this, as the film is far more effective when the viewer contains the same knowledge of the situation as the characters do. There’s never a cutaway scene in which Geoffrey is graphically attacked and replaced that would easily point out to viewers that he has been infected by the parasite; instead, the notion that any character within the film has the potential of being corrupted is far more terrifying. Each scene is riddled with tension, as viewers are unsure if the characters that they are following can be trusted. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, shockingly, earned a PG rating from the MPAA back in 1978. This bizarre ruling doesn’t take away from how terrifying it is — the iconic final shot of Sutherland’s character pointing directly at the camera is one of the scariest moments in the history of cinema.
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ Relies on Suspense and Intrigue
Invasion of the Body Snatchers succeeded because it showed respect for the scientific process, and approached the subject of an alien invasion with respect for legitimate research. Audiences may have been conditioned by science fiction blockbusters like Star Wars or Superman: The Movie to expect something very specific when it came to alien life, but Invasion of the Body Snatchers was able to relate the extraterrestrial threat to a recognizable parasite in a way that felt more authentic. The diligence with which Elizabeth and Matthew explore the capabilities of the parasite is just as detail-oriented as examining a case would be in a legal thriller. The idea that so much legitimate scientific terminology was used only made the threat seem more plausible.
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The decision to avoid gore is what makes the 1978 film the best version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as it is the only version of the story that sustains the same level of tension throughout. While the 1956 film does have some brilliant moments courtesy of director Don Siegel, it ultimately succumbs to the trappings of a genre movie when the alien threat is revealed.
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ Has Political Relevance
There is certainly a timeless quality to the concept of an alien invasion, but Invasion of the Body Snatchers spoke to the feelings of paranoia that were rampant in the 1970s when Americans were more suspicious of each other than ever before. In the aftermath of the scandals involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, the concept of a powerful governing body avoiding the discussion of an active threat felt very realistic. The imagery of the creatures themselves also evoked comparisons to the violence of the Vietnam War, in which the use of guerrilla warfare made it impossible to mount a defense using traditional strategic operations.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers was able to evoke the paranoia of the Cold War by suggesting that it was impossible to trust anyone, even if they appeared to be normal. In an era in which suspected communists or anti-authoritarian sympathizers were put under pressure to mask their political leanings, the notion of an enemy hiding in plain sight was particularly horrifying. Invasion of the Body Snatchers may have ditched the gore, but it encapsulated the feelings of an entire generation during a stressful era in American history.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is streaming on Tubi in the U.S.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- Release Date
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December 22, 1978
- Director
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Philip Kaufman
- Writers
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W.D. Richter
