‘Downsizing’ Is An Interesting Premise, but Thematically a Master of None

It’s hard to place a finger on what Downsizing, Paramount Pictures’ new sci-fi-meets-inspirational film, means to do. It’s partly satire, without a clear message; partly end-of-the-world, without an apocalypse; partly a story of finding yourself, loving yourself, learning that you were enough all along… only to have its inspiration sullied under the treatment of the woman whose work makes it possible, the symbolic beast of burden who is both the emotional laborer and the punchline. It took a full day before I settled with my feelings on Downsizing as I sifted through the muck of what the film attempts to do, and came to believe its attempt at an inspirational story of personal growth in the context of its sci-fi theme is nothing short of clever. The problem with Downsizing, aside from the yoga pose Matt Damon used to allow both feet in his mouth the entirety of its press tour, is that goal is muddled with shifting focuses, fleeting characters, and cringe-worthy use of its main woman character. The premise, though, is something special: in response to climate change, an institute in Norway is finally successful in its solution of cellular miniaturization, the ability to shrink organic life to mitigate their carbon footprint and collective damage to the planet. Climate change is one of a few themes important to the film that serve a functional purpose without much exploration, like grabbing a hex key to assemble your furniture only to swap it for a better size until you need …