The Incredible Shrinking Man

Directed by Jack Arnold in 1957, this movie tells the story of Scott Carey, who starts to shrink due to an exposition to the combination of radiation and insecticide. The films main topic is the problems he has adapting to his new situation, which forces him to constantly change his point of view of the world. 

It stars Grant Williams as Scott and Randy Stuart as his wife Louise and it was written by Richard Matheson. 

The incredible Shrinking Man is considered a B science ficcion movie that appeared due to the horror that the atomic bombs from Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the cold war had awakened in the population. Personally I don't think it's a B movie. I think it manages in a magistral way isuses such as discrimination and the inherent fear of change that human beings have, these two isues being still characteristic for our society.

The main actor does a damn good work managing to capture the atention of the viewer through half of the movie in which he's completly alone. His adventures get more and more Robinson Crusoesque after he falls down a flight of stairs and is trapped in the cellar of his own home, facing giant monsters and curious threats. 

The ending of the movie is rather surprising and it invites the viewer to think, being very good for those same reasons. A lot of the greatness of this ending is due to the good work of Rochard Matheson, the writer of this movie. 

Matheson was an US writer who wrote a lot of science-fi, fantasy and horror books. He's also the writer of 'I'm a Legend' [1954], a book - please ignore the fact that Will Smith tryed and failed in doing a movie about the book - with an equally surprising ending and some impressive depth. 

For a low-budget 50s movie, the edition and visual effects are rather impressive. Obviously the inocence of some of them can be funny for now-a-days-viewers. 

Attentions aracnofobics: the main enemy of Scott in this movie is a huge tarantula. Maybe you would like to watch this with someone who can tell you when the thing is gone or you can use the music to guide you, so you may know when the spider is appearing and leaving the screen. 

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN TRAILER

All in all this is a very recommendable movie, with an itneresting plot and a modern view of the world and the human condition. The developement of the characters is very interesting and the effects clean and very well done.