Movie review
December 22, 2017 · 135 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Downsizing follows an ordinary suburban man who shrinks to five inches tall through a new procedure so he and his wife can cut their environmental impact and stretch their savings in a special small community. His wife backs out at the last minute, forcing him to start over alone until he connects with quirky neighbors, including a resilient Vietnamese immigrant who works as a cleaner. The story begins with scientists promoting shrinking as a fix for overpopulation and global warming but quickly shifts focus to personal setbacks, friendship, and accepting everyday limits rather than sustained environmental lectures.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Downsizing.
Woke representation / casting
Visible non-white supporting role for Vietnamese actress Hong Chau fits the story’s international and working-class elements in the small community; no forced quotas or mismatches with the suburban American premise.
Woke political dialogue
Early scientist scenes explain shrinking as an environmental solution, but the talk stays brief and gets undercut by later events without repeated ideological speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
The Vietnamese character’s refugee past and toughness add background color, yet the core drive remains personal connection and individual choice rather than group identity or oppression focus.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film gently mocks American consumerism, suburban dreams, and faith in big technological fixes by showing persistent class divides; it uses broad human satire instead of modern activist attacks on patriarchy, whiteness, or traditional norms.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No notable right-leaning or anti-woke complaints appeared in coverage accusing the film of pushing identity politics or DEI; existing criticism came mainly from progressive reviewers over character execution.
Creator track record context
Payne and Taylor build careers on character-driven satires that question everyday American life from multiple angles without centering race, gender, sexuality, or modern social-justice themes in their work or public statements.
Production
