Downsizing

Paul Safranek, a kind and practical occupational therapist, signs up for a radical medical procedure that lets people shrink to four inches tall. His goal is twofold: reduce his living costs and shrink his ecological footprint so he and his wife Audrey can enjoy a more secure future. In a world that celebrates miniature luxury, the couple moves into a scaled down society where everyday life costs far less and social divisions look different. As they settle into this new life, the promise of simplicity collides with real world complications, friendships, and moral questions about what it means to live well. The story follows their attempts to balance affection and practicality while new neighbors, including the optimistic Ngoc Lan Tran and the wary Dusan Mirkovic, challenge their assumptions about happiness. The film uses a quiet intimate lens on a couple's decisions that ripple outward into their community. It also foregrounds the ordinary pressures that anchor relationships.

Directed by Alexander Payne, Downsizing was written by Payne and Jim Taylor and released in 2017 by Paramount Pictures. The cast features Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, and Rolf Lassgård.

Worldwide box office stood at about 55 million, far short of its 68 million production budget and marketing costs, marking Downsizing as a modest performer rather than a hit and reflecting mixed market response.

Despite mixed reviews, Downsizing sparked conversations about consumerism, environmental ethics, and the fantasy of escape through technology. It also highlighted small acts of kindness and the friction between personal choice and collective responsibility, inviting viewers to consider what they would trade for a cleaner planet.

Critics were divided on pace and tone, but many praised the performances especially Hong Chau while noting the film's ambition. It wrestles with happiness, belonging, and responsibility in a world obsessed with efficiency and status, and it asks whether striving for a shinier life delivers real fulfillment or simply obscures deeper needs.