I hated Nebraska and Sideways and was wishy-washy on The Descendants, but Alexander Payne’s new concept for Downsizing is so clever, I’m curious. I want this to be good, but I will put a SPOILER WARNING on this trailer because I think it gives away a major plot twist it didn’t need to, so be forewarned.
Downsizing imagines what might happen if, as a solution to over-population, Norwegian scientists discover how to shrink humans to five inches tall and propose a 200-year global transition from big to small. People soon realize how much further money goes in a miniaturized world, and with the promise of a better life, everyman Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to abandon their stressed lives in Omaha in order to get small and move to a new downsized community — a choice that triggers life-changing adventures. Directed by two-time Oscar-winner Alexander Payne (Nebraska, The Descendants, Sideways) from a screenplay by Payne and Jim Taylor, Downsizing arrives in theaters on December 22.