Warner Bros Pictures
The Invasion is a 2007 American science fiction horror film[1] directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, written by David Kajganich, and starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Unhappy with the original cut of the film, the studio hired The Wachowskis for additional writing and James McTeigue to re-shoot some scenes. The plot follows a psychiatrist (Kidman) in Washington, D.C. who finds those around her turning into emotionless beings shortly after a Space Shuttle crashes to Earth, bringing with it mysterious alien spores.
Development of the film began in 2004. Warner Bros. Pictures hired David Kajganich to write what was intended to be a relatively straightforward remake of the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but Kajganich amended the story to reflect contemporary times. Principal photography began in September 2005. Released on August 17, 2007, the film was a commercial failure and received primarily negative reviews from critics.
The Invasion is the fourth film adaptation of the 1955 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney following Don Siegel‘s 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Philip Kaufman‘s 1978 remake of the same name, and Abel Ferrara‘s 1993 film Body Snatchers.
PLOT
After a Space Shuttle crashes on Earth, an intelligent fungus-like organism is discovered on the scattered wreckage across the United States. Soon afterward, people begin behaving strangely, showing detachment and a loss of emotion. Among the first affected is Tucker Kaufman, a CDC official investigating the crash. His ex-wife, psychiatrist Carol Bennell, notices that patients and friends insist their loved ones are “not themselves,” while her young son Oliver observes similar unusual behavior in his peers.
On Halloween, Oliver finds a disturbing patch of skin on a partygoer, initially thought to be makeup, which Carol connects to reports of a mysterious flu. She takes the sample to her friend Dr. Ben Driscoll for analysis. Carol and Oliver then witness a car accident in which a troubled woman is run over. When Carol approaches to give a witness statement, an emotionless police officer dismisses her and records only her license plate. Later, Carol and Ben attend dinner with Czech diplomat Belicec, his wife Luddie, and Russian diplomat Yorish. Carol is also attacked at home by a stranger posing as a census worker, intensifying her fear of a widespread threat.
Ben and his colleague Dr. Stephen Galeano determine that the organism takes control of people during REM sleep. They also find that some individuals are immune, including those who have suffered from brain-affecting illnesses such as encephalitis or ADEM. Oliver is immune due to an episode of ADEM he experienced as a child, making him potentially vital to finding a cure. Carol joins Ben at the Belicecs’ home to investigate further and witnesses transformations in Yorish and a friend of the Belicecs.
Carol goes to Tucker’s house, where he and several colleagues confront her, claiming the altered humans represent a better world. When she refuses to join them, Tucker infects her by spitting into her face. Carol escapes and reunites with Ben and Oliver. Ben is later converted by the organism and tries to persuade Carol to accept the infection, but she shoots him in the leg and flees with Oliver.
Galeano and his team travel to Fort Detrick in Maryland to develop a cure using Oliver’s immunity. Carol and Oliver remain protected while scientists create a vaccine, eventually eradicating the epidemic. Those who were changed regain their emotions while having no memory of their past actions. Carol and Ben are reunited, and Oliver remains safe, as the immediate threat of the organism is eliminated.
