If you think that your life is difficult, consider the case of Scott Carey (Grant Williams) who, after coming into contact with a mysterious cloud of mist, finds himself slowly shrinking to the size of a thimble, his main concerns being avoiding the family cat and battling the hairy spider in the basement. The premise of The Incredible Shrinking Man sounds ridiculous but, compared to other sci-fi duds of its time period, it’s well-crafted, surprisingly suspenseful, and filled with existential angst. Of note, the sets, props and special effects are impressive throughout and, despite the navel-gazing final scene and the preposterous premise, the movie is entertaining from start to finish, which is more than can be said for other sci-fi films of the same era.

For what it is and when it was made, this is a fantastic movie. The scaling isn't perfect but the thought that went into how it was filmed is very impressive. Ambitious survival story with effective elements of horror and philosophy - until the end - which was the only part I didn't care for.

Mostly gripping tale of survival against house cat and spider in basement, Movie has some well staged action, and an empathetic lead, But movie ends up unncessarily philosophical and high minded, That killed the fun,

3.5 stars. I saw this movie when it was first released in 1957 and remember being wowed by it. Seeing it again recently, I felt it really never lost anything in the translation over the years. There was great empathy created for the shrinking man (played by Grant Williams), which took you through some tense, thrilling scenes when he was put into perilous situations due to his miniature size, i.e., chased by a cat and a spider. Given its many years before SGI, I give great credit to the special effects team for using oversized props and trick photography to create a well-done effect of an actual man shrinking. The film ends with an esoteric message that: Even the smallest of men are significant in God's eyes. This is a good example of a well-done 1950s sci-fi film.

I truly enjoyed watching this movie. It is a fun viewing and completely vibes with the '50s style science fiction movies. I was a bit surprised toward the beginning when the doctor stated actual scientific facts about how the body naturally compresses down the spine as the day goes on giving the illusion of shrinking. I wasn't expecting scientific facts to be casually dropped like that in an old sci-fi flick.

A great work of existential dread that every movie lover should see. The effects, miniature work, and specially the ending and Jack Arnold's direction are perfect.

Not your typical fare, The Incredible Shrinking Man, at its core, is an examination of man's preconceptions of what constitutes value and one's own self worth. It is poignant and profound, delivering one of the most beautifully written endings in film history. On the Sci Fi end, It also delivers some great visuals. This is a singular Sci Fi masterpiece.

It was a really good movie, thought provoking funny emotion-full. I loved it I watched it in theater at Film Forum the new 4k restoration. If ever the chance def watch this at a theater. Definitely worth your time.

Jack Arnold was no movie auteur, and his range was limited. He did not get to work with big budgets or A-list actors. What Arnold did know was how to make intelligent sci-fi movies that had good pace and well-constructed action scenes. Arnold did not employ the quasi-documentary approach that was common in 1950s sci-fi, but preferred to concentrate on traditional story-telling. The Incredible Shrinking Man is narrated by Scott Carey (Grant Williams), the titular hero of the story. It is not clear to whom he is narrating, or how he is narrating the story since he will soon shrink to a size which would make holding a pen impossible. Perhaps he is relating it to himself. Scott is enveloped in a cloud that leaves him covered in moisture. The cloud is first seen as a tiny drawing during the opening credits, which also show a silhouetted man shrinking next to the oversized words. We never find out where this mist came from, but later suggestions are that it is radioactive. Radiation was the familiar cause of all ills in 1950s sci-fi, as the nuclear age caused many to feel pessimistic about whether the scientific developments of the age were bringing us to a new age of progress, or throwing up terrible dangers that we could not foresee. This movie uses a familiar bugbear then, but manages to combine it with a new one that would take longer to be taken seriously. As he begins to shrink, Scott tries unsuccessfully to adjust to his new condition. Scott's predicament could almost be that of any other healthy person who has suffered from a debilitating or disabling illness. Just as he shrinks before the world, then so his own world shrinks before him. Normal household items become difficult to handle or use, as we see when we watch Scott eat, or hold a telephone receiver. In the third act of the movie, innocent things will become threatening. Soon Scott will be menaced by the family cat, which he was able to lift off his bed when he was at full height; later still a household spider will be a danger to him. Arnold's visual techniques are not especially original. He uses oversized sets and props. He also employs split screens, process shots and back projections. While the effects have been bettered since, they still look quite effective here. Sound too plays a part. As Scott becomes very small, his voice sounds tinny when he is viewed from Louise's perspective. In later scenes where he is struggling to be heard by other characters, the volume is turned so low that we can barely hear him too. When the sound viewed from his perspective, it is played at a louder volume, as during the cat attack, where its meow becomes a roar. With The Incredible Shrinking Man, Arnold showed that sci-fi could be made into something better than the cheap, badly-made exploitation movies that were so common in this period. It could be made into a respectable genre that is exciting and thought-provoking. It would be another decade or two before the consensus about sci-fi movies began to swing in this direction. I wrote a longer appreciation of The Incredible Shrinking Man on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/the-incredible-shrinking-man-1957/

It started as an intriguing scientific mystery, then drastically shifted to an endless relentless survival adventure. Eventually the ending is spiritual and thought-provoking. Special effects and the sets are okay to watch but outdated. This hugely owed to the actor, the direction is quite static and observant. Overall interesting character study.

One of my favorite old sci fi movies. A great concept with the screen play written by the same author as the book. The special effects where really good for that era.

This is very much a 'curio' of a film. The old fashioned special effects appear pretty farcical nowadays but its certainly an entertaining watch never the less. It made me chuckle to see that its part categorised as a horror film - suffice to say its really not frightening at all, with potentially the exception of a moment towards the end featuring an insect. This is like an old fashioned one person 'The Borrowers' or 'Honey I Shrunk The Kids' type film, only in black and white. The plot isn't very thoroughly thought out. I found the ending a little abrupt, for one thing. I would recommend this if your particularly interested in classic old horror/sci-fi films.

I saw this first-run at 10 years old, at a Saturday morning kids matinee. I've seen it again a number of time. Despite now-dated effects, the acting and directing keep it at a surprisingly high level for a 1950s sci-fi flick. The hopeful ending was a bit beyond me at that age, but again is unusually elevated for a movie of its type. For both sentimental and critical reasons it remains one of my favorite movies, along with just a few others from its time period and genre. If you haven't seen it yet, you should!

"The Incredible Shrinking Man" is an interesting and well acted movie. The cast does a very good job and the special effects have held up remarkably well even by today's standards. The late Grant Williams does well as the title character. The supporting cast is not great but they too give good performances. The story was very interesting and I was never bored. William's narration is well written. It does help move the movie along which helps, but I will admit it was not a necessary element to the movie. Overall, I think "The Incredible Shrinking Man" is a very well made and entertaining movie. I would recommend seeing it at least once.

So this guy would have basically had no problems if he got his beer himself and didn't have an actual tarantula living in his basement. For a film that largely builds its identity on the shock and awe of its effects, The Incredible Shrinking Man holds up suprisingly well, thanks in large part to the willingness of the production team to create physical sets to force perspective when the screenplay allowed for it. There are plenty of scenes where the editing techniques have aged far less favorably, but looking at a massive lit match will help you to write off most of these weaknesses as limitations of the time, and instead appreciate the leaps that the film takes in other areas. A lot of the introspective monologues are pretty heavy-handed and seem to take away from the film when they begin to cause too much eye-rolling (it's not the spider five times his size he's afraid of, it's the "unknown that the spider represents"), but props to this film for having the stones to avoid a successful rescue and a return to normalcy. Some plot holes here and there, but still a great piece of midcentury sci-fi. (3.5/5)

Already I'm loving the chemistry between these two. She's really cute and seems sweet, plus she's got a sweet rack on her lol. And he's not that bad looking either, pretty handsome dude. It's funny how everything around him is huge and he's this tiny man child. I can sympathize with him though. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was uncontrollably getting tinier. Well that got really philosophical and spiritual towards the end lol. He came to terms that he was going to cease to exist but that he existed all along. This movie could be social commentary on chemical warfare. There's some pretty good special effects used like super imposing. And the practical effects were well done. The oversized props were quite impressive.

If you can get over a couple of avoidable holes in the plot, it's one of the better and more thought provoking 50's science fiction movies

Sentimental Blobbo favorite. Father Blobbo take baby Blobbo to see when came out. After game King and blob both go into same bag. Even little Blob, important.

Unforgettable. (In the best of ways.)

Richard Matheson was the best