Downsizing

Dir. Alexander Payne. 2017, 136 mins. DCP courtesy Paramount Pictures. With Matt Damon, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Udo Kier, Rolf Lassgård, Jason Sudeikis, Neil Patrick Harris, Laura Dern. Payne’s speculative science-fiction comedy Downsizing is premised on a fascinating and plausible scientific theory: if we were all five inches tall, the world’s resources would go a long way. Scientists have discovered how to shrink people in order to address over-population and help save the planet. Paul (Matt Damon) and his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to downsize in order to afford the kind of life they want. From this premise of extreme human engineering, Payne keeps deepening his story and characters, ultimately elaborating a political message about human exploitation of labor and resources, featuring a marvelous Chau in her breakthrough role. One of recent Hollywood cinema’s most ambitious films, Downsizing was underappreciated upon release but has been reclaimed by some as one of Payne’s very best. 

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