Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Play trailer Poster for Invasion of the Body Snatchers PG 1978 1h 55m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 75 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
This remake of the classic horror film is set in San Francisco. Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) assumes that when a friend (Brooke Adams) complains of her husband's strange mood, it's a marital issue. However, he begins to worry as more people report similar observations. His concern is confirmed when writer Jack Bellicec (Jeff Goldblum) and his wife (Veronica Cartwright) discover a mutated corpse. Besieged by an invisible enemy, Bennell must work quickly before the city is consumed.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Employing gritty camerawork and evocative sound effects, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a powerful remake that expands upon themes and ideas only lightly explored in the original.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (75)
Anton Bitel Little White Lies Kaufman’s invasion tracks the encroachment of consumerist conformity upon the liberated individualism of 60s Frisco – and would acquire new, unintended resonance when its theatrical release was immediately preceded by the collective madness of Jonestown. Feb 19, 2024 Full Review Pauline Kael The New Yorker Invasion of the Body Snatchers is more sheer fun than any movie I’ve seen since Carrie and Jaws and maybe parts of The Spy Who Loved Me. Sep 12, 2023 Full Review Adam Nayman The Ringer A decade after the Summer of Love, Invasion of the Body Snatchers essentially weaponized flower power, hinting that the erosion of individual consciousness in favor of groupthink was as natural and ingrained as photosynthesis itself. Oct 2, 2018 Full Review George Anderson Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A relentless pessimism pervades the action, and it is chillingly absorbing. Rated: B+ Jul 8, 2025 Full Review Scott Collura IGN Movies What can I say? A world where people forsake their feelings, their beliefs, their thoughts, to join with a collective community where they don’t have to truly feel, or believe, or think about anything, but just blindly follow the herd? It’s too easy. Apr 4, 2025 Full Review Noah Gittell Washington City Paper Its reflection of the national mood should command attention from anyone interested in smart, serious filmmaking. Mar 28, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)
Kevin P An amazing remake of the 1950's sci-fi horror classic that updates the surreal horror and tension with creepy practical effects, great surreal cinematography, excellent dark moody lighting, and a great ambient soundtrack. The cast is very solid, with great performances from Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nemoy. We also get an amazing cameo from the previous movie's lead actor Kevin McCarthy repeating the previous movie's ending by running into traffic yelling "they're here! You're next!". I like the cool opening scene with the outer space parasite globs and them passing down through the rain onto the plants. The direction is very strong, with this subtle, yet ever-present uneasy tension that keeps slowly rising throughout the entire film. We get plenty of subtle clues of background extras already showing sings of being pod people or being trusted by pod people. I love the bit "Do the thing with your eyes to show me you're not crazy". I love the intensely creepy and unsettling way everyone in downtown just stops to stare at the main characters in a straight line like cultures watching their prey. The pod hatching scenes are unnerving with some disgusting practical effects that show the ugly underbelly of these parasitic clones that try so hard to br "better versions of us". It makes for some great body horror, especially with that wtf scene with the dog wearing the man's face and an absolutely brutal way that the plant pods dispose of the old bodies after people fall asleep. It's emotionally devastating since you really want to see these characters make it out okay. But the film is relentless in it's overwhelming odds that make the characters feel puny and helpless. All culminating in a harrowing twist ending that's so iconic, despite it being a massive spoiler for those who've never seen the movie. It ends on a great note and cements itself as one of the best remakes of all time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/05/25 Full Review Jelisije J An unforgettable movie experience where an alien invasion slowly takes over the world. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/03/25 Full Review D.A. P This edition of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is great for being a movie from 1978. The all star cast ensemble including Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Brooke Adams, and Leonard Nimoy make this movie and what it has to offer really great. It explores a lot of plot developments really greatly and does it even better than the original from the 1950's. The only reason that I did not rate this movie higher- THE ENDING. The ending to this movie leaves a lot of questions that go unanswered and almost makes it seem like we lost. If the ending to this movie had more hope- I would have given it a better rating. 3.5 out of 5 stars- This movie is great and the cast works well together- but with the ending- you might be bound to be disappointed. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/17/25 Full Review André Ferreira F Um bom thriller que prende o espectador à cadeira e deixa-o sem respirar. O filme vai avançando gradualmente até um final marcante. É incrível ver efeitos práticos como os deste filme, melhores do que muitos filmes atuais. (avaliação: 8.5/10) Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/13/25 Full Review Jeepers C This is a great example of the perfect slow-burn science fiction movie. I loved every intriguing minute of this movie. 😍 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/12/25 Full Review Shizue Leigh H Refreshing “breather” of a movie. Jane Seymour, never, appreciated enough helps make this tale of light to dark romance work. Watching her with Christopher Reeve is a pleasure. 5 Stars for me🌈And a rainbow🌈 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Invasion of the Body Snatchers

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Coma 81% 66% Coma Watchlist Meteor 5% 14% Meteor Watchlist Somewhere in Time 52% 87% Somewhere in Time Watchlist Close Encounters of the Third Kind 91% 85% Close Encounters of the Third Kind Watchlist TRAILER for Close Encounters of the Third Kind Logan's Run 58% 67% Logan's Run Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis This remake of the classic horror film is set in San Francisco. Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) assumes that when a friend (Brooke Adams) complains of her husband's strange mood, it's a marital issue. However, he begins to worry as more people report similar observations. His concern is confirmed when writer Jack Bellicec (Jeff Goldblum) and his wife (Veronica Cartwright) discover a mutated corpse. Besieged by an invisible enemy, Bennell must work quickly before the city is consumed.
Director
Philip Kaufman
Producer
Robert H. Solo
Screenwriter
Jack Finney, W.D. Richter
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Solofilm
Rating
PG
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 22, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 27, 2017
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo, Dolby
Aspect Ratio
35mm
Most Popular at Home Now