Review of Downsizing (2017) by R W — 22 Oct 2018

Matt Damon teams up with Alexander Payne for the satirical political comedy Downsizing. To solve the problem of overpopulation a group of scientists develop a procedure to shrink a person to 5 inches and launch a series of small communities, which soon attracts middle-aged physical therapist Paul Safranek who seeks to escape his boring workaday life.

Co-starring Kristen Wiig and Christoph Waltz, the cast isn't too bad; but only Waltz really gives a performance. And the film pulls a bait-and-switch, as it never gets into life in the small communities or the larger social effects that they would have on the world.

The script is poorly written, going everywhere and nowhere; touching on a lot of issues but never exploring them. Also, the comedy is downplayed for most of the film. Unfocused and rather pointless, Downsizing doesn't seem to know what it wants to be.