Downsizing
Rent/Purchase
A kindly occupational therapist undergoes a new procedure to be shrunken to four inches tall so that he and his wife can help save the planet and afford a nice lifestyle at the same time.
What critics thought
Alexander Payne's ambitious sci-fi satire split critics sharply: some found its sprawling genre-mixing and humanist ambitions genuinely thrilling, while others saw a filmmaker whose reach badly exceeded his grasp. The core disagreement was whether the film's big ideas are explored with sufficient rigor and tonal control, or whether the whole enterprise collapses under the weight of its own earnestness.
“this is a deeply humane film that, like the best Hollywood classics, feels both entirely of its moment and timeless. It was a risky roll of the dice, but one that hits the creative jackpot.”
Todd McCarthy·The Hollywood Reporter
“with startling performances and special effects, director Alexander Payne's dystopian sci-fi satire brims over with the pleasures of the unexpected.”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“If Payne had landed the mix of genres, Downsizing could have been a masterpiece. Spoiler (small print not required): He does not.”
David Sims·The Atlantic
“Payne [...] appears to think he's making some kind of grand statement. So you just sit back and marvel at how his reach continually exceeds his grasp.”
Keith Uhlich·Slant Magazine
“three movies in one – a passable one, a terrific one, and a terrible one. They're unified in the realization of the movie's big idea, but the movie's straining after a big idea is its overarching weakness.”
Richard Brody·The New Yorker
Genres
Drama, Science Fiction, Comedy
Cast & Crew
DirectorAlexander Payne
StarringMatt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Rolf Lassgård
ComposerRolfe Kent
Downsizing
A kindly occupational therapist undergoes a new procedure to be shrunken to four inches tall so that he and his wife can help save the planet and afford a nice lifestyle at the same time.
What critics thought
Alexander Payne's ambitious sci-fi satire split critics sharply: some found its sprawling genre-mixing and humanist ambitions genuinely thrilling, while others saw a filmmaker whose reach badly exceeded his grasp. The core disagreement was whether the film's big ideas are explored with sufficient rigor and tonal control, or whether the whole enterprise collapses under the weight of its own earnestness.
“this is a deeply humane film that, like the best Hollywood classics, feels both entirely of its moment and timeless. It was a risky roll of the dice, but one that hits the creative jackpot.”
Todd McCarthy·The Hollywood Reporter
“with startling performances and special effects, director Alexander Payne's dystopian sci-fi satire brims over with the pleasures of the unexpected.”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“If Payne had landed the mix of genres, Downsizing could have been a masterpiece. Spoiler (small print not required): He does not.”
David Sims·The Atlantic
“Payne [...] appears to think he's making some kind of grand statement. So you just sit back and marvel at how his reach continually exceeds his grasp.”
Keith Uhlich·Slant Magazine
“three movies in one – a passable one, a terrific one, and a terrible one. They're unified in the realization of the movie's big idea, but the movie's straining after a big idea is its overarching weakness.”
Richard Brody·The New Yorker
Genres
Drama, Science Fiction, Comedy
Cast & Crew
DirectorAlexander Payne
StarringMatt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Rolf Lassgård
ComposerRolfe Kent
Rent/Purchase