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The Incredible Shrinking Man

Released 1957
Runtime 81
Language English
Director Jack Arnold

What it’s about

Scott Carey (Williams) and Louise (Stuart) are a happily married, 1950s-era couple on a relaxing boating vacation. When a mysterious cloud rains a strange mist all over Scott, neither thinks much of it until six months later when he begins to continually diminish in size, presumably from radioactive waste. Now a medical marvel and fodder for hungry tabloids, Scott faces a world filled with unexpected, treacherous dangers. Even a household cat is a threat. Will Scott regain his stature or shrink into nothingness?

Why we love it

Kitschy and thought-provoking in equal measure, this sci-fi cult classic depicts the technology-induced paranoia prevalent in the atomic age. But its central existential question &mash; does Scott's soul shrink along with his body? — elevates the fanciful tale above most 1950s B-movie horror pics. Contemporary viewers won't miss the seams around the edges of the special effects (which were cutting-edge in their day), but that won't lessen the pleasure of this inventive film. Earnestly acted and beautifully written by pioneering sci-fi and horror author Richard Matheson, it's no stretch to call this movie “incredible.”

Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, Raymond Bailey, Paul Langton Jack Arnold

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