Body Snatchers

This remake of the classic '50s paranoia movie, Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is evidence that the end of the Cold War hasn't dispelled fears of creeping authoritarianism and loss of individuality. The story is relocated to a southern military base - a more credible breeding ground for insurgency than the San Francisco of Phil Kaufman's chilling 1978 version - with disaffected teenager Anwar at the centre of the drama. At first this seems like a sop to Hollywood fashion, but in fact it's a switch which lends an intriguing perspective as the nuclear family approaches meltdown. Tilly (and her body double) are excellent as the teenager's stepmom; and there's a good tight script from Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli and long-time Ferrara collaborator Nicholas St John. This slick, polished film is a change of pace for Ferrara, but fans of his more abrasively challenging work are unlikely to feel short-changed - 'I always loved Martian movies,' Ferrara has said. 'I used to dress up as a Martian when I was a kid and go out and terrify the neighbours...'