Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is coming to The Planetarium on Friday 16 October, as part of the Bristol Film Festival's Halloween 2026 programme. The film is turning 70 this year, so it's a bit of a milestone screening. It's based on Jack Finney's novel and shot in a film noir style, and it's described as both a gripping extraterrestrial thriller and a wry commentary on McCarthyism — and it remains as eerie as ever.

There's a bit more to the evening than just the film. Before it starts, you're invited to explore the Planetarium's Space exhibition and take a space-aptitude test, so you can arrive early and wander around rather than just turning up for the credits. When the screening itself begins, you'll be reclining in the venue's unique screening space, which is a far cry from your usual cinema seat. The night opens with a Planetarium star show — a tour of the Solar System — to set the scene before the main feature kicks in.

It's all happening at The Planetarium at We The Curious, BS1 5DB, in Bristol. The session runs from 6:30 PM to 8:20 PM, so it's a relatively early one that gets you home well before midnight. If you're planning to do the exhibition and the aptitude test first, you'll want to factor in some extra time before the start.