Perhaps this film does not belong in the category of guilty pleasures, as it has exerted an influence over many science fiction films that followed at the tail end of the Cold War. Still, the subtle special effects of this movie are laughable in comparison to the computer generated effects of modern filmmaking. And yet, I am never able to emotionally extricate myself from this film whenever I find it on television. Donald Sutherland is great as Matthew Bennell, a field agent who tries to help a friend understand recent behavioral changes with her boyfriend. It seems that he has suddenly transformed into an unemotional automaton overnight. He's not the only one either; as the people of San Francisco are slowly turned into emotionless replicas in their sleep, paranoia and chaos set in. As the core group of characters attempts to stave off extermination, the film takes us on an emotional thrill ride through the gutters and streets of California. The ending of the film is one of the more famous (and satisfying) conclusions in American sci-fi history.
Along with being a compelling science fiction story, this film adds to the long line of films that use alien invasion as an allegory for fears about communist insurrection and nuclear warfare. Though I imagine that living through the brunt of the Cold War was a trying experience, it certainly gave meaningful subtext to a host of classic films. Modern terrorism just hasn't had the same effect.
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