Genres
Sci-fi horror film
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1978 sci-fi horror film directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Kevin McCarthy, Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum. It runs 1 hour 55 minutes and earned $24.9 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 6 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1979. Critics gave it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 75 on Metacritic.
Loading streaming availability…
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 55m (115 min)
- Director
- Philip Kaufman
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- United Artists
- Based on
- The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Invasion of the Body Snatchers About?
The premise of Invasion of the Body Snatchers without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A chilling sci-fi thriller unfolds as San Francisco is gripped by a terrifying invasion. When pod-like spores begin to replace people with emotionless duplicates, a man named Matthew Bennell investigates the unsettling phenomenon. He discovers his friend's husband is among the victims, triggering a desperate race against time. As more people are affected and the line between reality and illusion blurs, Bennell must find a way to expose the sinister force and prevent the complete takeover of the city.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- female nudity
- urban setting
- health inspector
- doppelganger
- human face on animal
- city
- human versus alien
- female topless nudity
- breasts
- sleep
- psychiatrist
- capgras delusion
+38 more Show fewer
- capgras syndrome
- parasite
- human head on dog's body
- good versus evil
- no music during end credits
- psychotronic film
- health inspection
- civil servant
- public health official
- health spa
- foot chase
- book launch
- explosion
- sleep is dangerous
- practical effects
- alien pretending to be human
- low budget sci fi movie
- five word title
- cult film
- suspense
- electronic music score
- atonal music score
- trenchcoat
- cooking
- grindhouse film
- scene during opening credits
- headphones
- watching tv
- deception
- double cross
- blood
- ambush
- duplicate
- human duplicate
- alien pod
- husband wife relationship
- mind control
- dying planet
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Cast
Kevin McCarthy leads the cast, with Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum. Directed by Philip Kaufman; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Philip Kaufman
Also Starring in Invasion of the Body Snatchers
· 6 more From the director
More from Philip Kaufman
More films directed by Philip Kaufman, best-rated first: The Right Stuff, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Quills and The Wanderers.
Ratings
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Invasion of the Body Snatchers 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 75 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 93% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 82%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 75 Metascore
User score 7.7
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 72% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Plot Summary
What happens in Invasion of the Body Snatchers from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
On an uncharted planet, an unusual lifeform, resembling gel-like spores, floats upward into the atmosphere, gradually making its slow journey through space until it finally arrives on Earth. The spores descend into the atmosphere, cascading down during a rainstorm that hits San Francisco. Upon reaching the ground, these spores begin to morph, embedding themselves in the leaves of local plants and transforming into small pods adorned with pink flowers at their center.
In this unsettling turn of events, Elizabeth Driscoll encounters one of these peculiar pods. She brings it home to the residence she shares with her boyfriend, Geoffrey. Confounded by her findings, Elizabeth combs through her botany books only to realize that this flowering pod cannot be classified—she tentatively identifies it as a cross-breed she dubs a “grex.”
Full summary
The whole story of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, scene by scene
Box office
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Box Office
Invasion of the Body Snatchers grossed $24.9 million worldwide. $24.9 million came from the US and Canada and $182 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$24.9M
- US & Canada
- $24.9M
- International
- $182
US & Canada 100%
Rest of the world 0%
Awards
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Awards & Nominations
Invasion of the Body Snatchers won 1 award from 6 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1979.
1 win6 nominations1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 1979 1 win · 6 nominations- Won Best Director
- Nominated Best Actor
- Nominated Best Actress
- Nominated Best Make-up
- Nominated Best Special Effects
Videos
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Trailers & Videos
10 videos: 3 trailers, 1 teaser, 5 clips and 1 featurette.
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Trailer Arrow Teaser
- Teaser Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978 TV trailer
- Clip It's a Monsters
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What unusual lifeform arrives on Earth in 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'?
Cars
Cars in Invasion of the Body Snatchers
28 cars on screen, including the 1968 Ford Custom and the 1976 Chevrolet Impala Wagon.
-
1968 Ford Custom Important role -
1976 Chevrolet Impala Wagon Minor role -
Clark unknown Minor role -
Harley-Davidson FLHP Electra Glide Minor role
Details
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Also Known As
33 alternative titles, including “Invasion der Körper-Diebe” and “Invaze lupičů těl”.
- Also known as
-
- Invasion der Körper-Diebe
- Invaze lupičů těl
- Los Usurpadores de cuerpos
- La invasión de los ultracuerpos
- Invasión de los suplantacuerpos
- Μακάβρια Εισβολή
- Μακάβριοι Εισβολείς
- L'Invasion des profanateurs
- Die Körperfresser kommen
- Terrore dallo spazio profondo
- A Invasão dos Violadores
- Världsrymden anfaller
+21 more Show fewer
- A testrablók támadása
- פלישת חוטפי הגופות
- SF／ボディ・スナッチャー
- Os Invasores de Corpos
- Invaze zlodějů těl
- Ihmispaholaiset
- Stjålne kroppe
- Вторгнення викрадачів тіл
- Beden Kemiricilerin İstılası
- Вторжение похитителей тел
- 외계의 침입자
- Inwazja łowców ciał
- 變體人
- 人体异形
- Cuộc Xâm Lăng Của Người Nhân Bản
- 天外奪命花
- Kūnų grobikų įsiveržimas
- La invasió dels ultracossos
- บุกร่างยึดโลก
- Нашествието на крадци на тела
- Invazija tjelokradica
Seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
More like this
Movies Like Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Body Snatchers and The Invasion.
From the blog
Articles About Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Our article about Invasion of the Body Snatchers: “The Psychology of Horror Movies: Why We Love to Be Scared”.
FAQ
Invasion of the Body Snatchers FAQ: Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers runs 1 hour 55 minutes (115 minutes).
When was Invasion of the Body Snatchers released?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers was released on December 22, 1978.
Who directed Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers was directed by Philip Kaufman.
More films by Philip Kaufman Who is in the cast of Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers stars Kevin McCarthy, Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Invasion of the Body Snatchers make at the box office?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers grossed $24.9 million worldwide ($24.9 million domestic, $182 international).
How is Invasion of the Body Snatchers rated?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers has 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.
What awards did Invasion of the Body Snatchers win?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers won 1 award from 6 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1979.
Does Invasion of the Body Snatchers have a post-credit scene?
No. Invasion of the Body Snatchers has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
