10 Awesome Movie Scenes Trapped In Awful Movies

Downsizing was sold as a quirky comedy that would explore the lives of miniaturised people, digging into interesting topics like how "getting small" affects the financial status, social standing and relationships of those who choose to undergo the process, with a particular focus on Paul's (Matt Damon) marriage to Audrey (Kristen Wiig).

But it's not really about any of that. About 30 minutes in, Downsizing turns into a pretentious bore about the end of the world, with an environmental message that's about as subtle as a blimp crash. It's confusing, aimless, and worst of all, would have played out in exactly the same way even if its characters were of a normal stature, making it feel like director Alexander Payne forgot his movie was supposed to be about small people.

What we wanted to see - and what the trailers told us to expect - was small people living their small lives in a big world, and to that end, Downsizing's best bits are in its first act, when that was actually the focus.

The standout scene here is the part that shows us the complete downsizing process, including sedation, hair removal (all of it), dental checks, application of the downsizing solution, and the actual machine used to shrink people. Not a single detail is left out of the picture: it's vividly realised and mesmerising to watch, the type of well-executed sci-fi that truly makes you believe it could one day become a reality.