Downsizing Review: prepare to be disappointed

I really wanted to like this movie. I liked the premise that they marketed: “downsizing” would be a solution for how taxing human existence is on our planet.

As someone who does care about our planet, I do feel guilty about things like my waste and my meat consumption, but what if I was 150 times smaller and daily all-you-can-eat BBQ would barely make a dent? I’d LOVE that, hah.

I thought the movie was going to lean into the premise and use different scenarios to show how much of an impact we as a species is having on our planet. Due to the extreme nature of the premise, this commentary on humanity could be done in a fun and light-hearted way.

So, here’s the lowdown. The premise became the catalyst for a love story :|. If anything, the commentary this movie was trying to make was that humans will continue to have the same problems (like love), regardless of the circumstances…what a waste!

That story in itself isn’t a bad one to tell, but it completely negates the potential of the premise. By the halfway point of the movie, “downsizing” didn’t matter anymore: it was just an end-of-the-world ‘minified’-love story.

But I did enjoy the first third of the movie where they did delve into what the ramifications of such a technology could be and what the struggles of the decision of undergoing such an operation could be. The last two-thirds, though…it just flushed the setup away.

So, look at it this way: the first third & the back two-thirds of the movie would’ve been enjoyable on their own; trying to smash them together, they were like oil & water :\.

If you’re watching it on-demand, I’d say: watch the first 30–40 minutes. From there, the story slowly loses its charm, so feel free to stop it at that point :).

OVERALL SCORE: 4.0

• STORY: 2.5/10
• DIRECTING: 6.0/10
• WRITING: 6.0/10
• LEAD Actors: 6.5/10
• SUPPORTING Cast: 7.0/10
• CINEMATOGRAPHY: 5.5/10
• MUSIC: Okay, didn’t notice it
• WATCH again with future spouse? 0/10

The run down: After the “gotcha” moment, the story couldn’t carry the weight of its premise.