The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

While sunbathing on a boat, a man (Grant Williams) is enveloped by a strange mist which covers him with debris. It isn't long after that he finds his body slowly but inevitably shrinking. Based on the novel THE SHRINKING MAN by Richard Matheson and directed by Jack Arnold (CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON). This is one of the seminal science fiction films of the 1950s. What makes it unique and sets it apart is its thought provoking narrative which arrives at a mystical and almost existential conclusion. Thankfully, director Arnold resisted studio pressure to give the film a more conventional "happy" ending. The central performance is crucial to a film like this and to that end, Grant Williams gives one of the best performances in a science fiction film. His commitment to the part is strong and because of that, unlike many sci-fi films of the decade, it never once crosses over into kitsch or "camp".  The film's special effects were top notch for its time and still hold up today. With Randy Stuart (ALL ABOUT EVE) as Williams' wife, April Kent, Paul Langton, Raymond Bailey and Orangey (BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S) as the house cat who terrorizes the miniature Williams.