Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns from a convention to the small Santa Mira and is welcomed by his nurse and friend Sally Withers (Jean Willes) at the train station. She reports that several patients had come to see him while he was traveling. While driving to his office with Sally, Miles stops the car when a boy runs to the road. Soon he learns that the boy insists that his mother is not her actually. Then he meets in his office his former girlfriend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) that has just divorced and returned from England. Becky tells that her cousin Wilma Lentz (Virginia Christine) insists that her Uncle Ira is not him. Miles invites Becky to have dinner with him and he meets his friend, the psychiatrist Dr. Dan 'Danny' Kauffman (Larry Gates) that tells that the population of Santa Mira is paranoid with mass hysteria imagining doubles of their relatives. Miles and Becky go to a restaurant and Miles receives a phone call from his friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan) asking him to go to his house. Miles and Becky visit Jack and his wife Theodora 'Teddy' Belicec (Carolyn Jones) and they show a partially developed body with Jack's characteristics on the pool table and they go to Miles' house. Then Miles goes to Becky's house and finds a body identical to her in the basement. Miles brings Becky to his house and in the morning, the group finds seeds of pods with doubles of them. Soon they discover that the population is being replaced by emotionless doubles while asleep. They unsuccessfully try to contact the authorities in other cities but they discover that they are under siege by the pod people. Will they have the chance to flee from Santa Mira?

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is one of the best sci-fi classics from the 50's of the cinema history. The story is tense and very well written and the the screenplay is excellent. The plot is an anti-communism message in period of the McCarthyism, with people with no feelings, with similar behavior, that does not love. The prologue and the epilogue had been imposed by the studio that found the original conclusion with Miles screaming on the highway too pessimist. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Vampiros de Almas" ("Vampires of Souls")

Note: On 06 Nov 2018 I saw this film again.