Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
A dangerous combination of radiation and insecticide causes the unfortunate Scott Carey to shrink, slowly but surely, until he is only a few inches tall. His home becomes a wilderness where he must survive everything from spiders living in the cellar to his beloved cat.
The Incredible Shrinking Man is a landmark of 1950s sci-fi that transcends its B-movie trappings. The plot is genuinely existential and philosophical for its era, culminating in one of genre cinema's most remarkable endings — a cosmic monologue about man's place in the universe that remains startling today. Cinematography earns a 4 for its ingenious forced-perspective and oversized-set work that still impresses; the visual problem-solving is exceptional for the period. Novelty is high — the film is utterly singular in its earnest blend of survival horror, domestic drama, and philosophical meditation. The ending holds firm as one of sci-fi's great conclusions. Acting is competent but unremarkable, with Grant Williams doing solid work without transcending the material.