Ulf Kjell Gür I think it chose me for saying something. A man with a unique sense of style and simplicity in relation to the image and storytelling. That's Saul Bass. The graphic designer. I'm not very fond of ants but I admire their collective intelligence. Just like the bees. I wish we androids could possess this skill. We would be so much better off. Bees are very sensitive creatures, while ants are made of teflon. I think bees cry too. We are creatures made out of fast food and various drugs. With thumbs. The end might come as a surprise to you.

classicsoncall I have a default category for movies like this that says - someone, somewhere at some time must have thought this was a good idea for a picture. Paying fairly close attention, I really didn't get the point of this story if there was one, and even by reading the reviews of other folks on this board I'm not getting a clear picture of what this was supposed to be about. There's a pretty good post left by user 'Dr. Wily' in the reviews section, but even after his astute analysis, he comes up with the same conclusion - which is, try to come up with your own. The movie makes as much sense as an old joke it reminded me of as I considered the subject matter. Ready? Say 'dead ant' ten times real fast....Hi-yo Silver, away!!!!

Aaron1375 I watched this film again for the first time in many many years. I watched it with my fiancé and she told me, "That was strange..." I then referenced a Family Guy episode that talked about one of those old 70's science fiction films with the ambiguous endings and said, "This is a near perfect example of one of those and the music is just like one of those!" Yes, this film is a bit ambiguous, a bit vague and it is also very unique. Not like other ant films of the times, the ants here are no simple killers like in the movie where the ants overrun a hotel nor does this one feature giant ants like in Them or Empire of the Ants. No, here the ants are becoming more intelligent and the changes subtle at first as the first five or so minutes of the film almost play out like a nature documentary. My fiancé asked me during this stretch whether there were any human characters at all in it, which soon answered itself when a truck was shown driving along the rode.The story, basically has a planetary alignment causing problems. Not in the form of massive worldwide disasters, but in a more subtle way. Ants, seem to be communicating in ways thought impossible as they begin to communicate with every species all working together. A scientist who has been studying this phenomenon and a man who is good at cracking puzzles and codes head to a facility in Arizona where they are going to try and figure out what is happening and how much of a threat the ants may pose. Unfortunately, a family that had been ordered to evacuate remains and their staying will end up causing a lot of problems that put the men behind in their studying of the ants and the ants seem a lot more capable of survival and fighting everything the humans throw at them! I am not going to say this film is a favorite of mine. I will not even say it is my favorite killer ant movie as I like Empire of the Ants more, though it is admittedly more cheesy. This one is very unique though and interesting. I just do not like certain elements to it. It is a bit strange; though, I was able to understand it more this time than I was the first time I saw it as a kid and that scene where the scientist falls into the hole is a bit creepy. It also had creepy scenes where they showed the ants doing stuff. Strangely effective scenes. Still, just needed a bit more to bring it all together...definitely more science fiction than horror.

Raphael_Sarker I watched Phase IV in the 1970s when I was probably too young to understand it but I was hooked on it anyway... It's the ants.This film has a lot to offer and is deeply rewarding when watched again and again over the years. I only recently realised that this is one of the very few films directed by Saul Bass, whose production, titles and graphic designs defined the coolness, and the cool, of the 1950s, 60s and 70's American cinema. Mad Men? Not without Saul Bass.And Phase IV is very much a design cinema, the kind that Don Draper would watch several times over. It's Sci-Fi for sure. It could be an extended episode of a never-realised 1970s visit to the Twilight Zone. It's a type of American film that makes you think of the low-budget Americana of Easy Rider, Corman, and early Coppola. It's very cool. If you can imagine an American SF film reconfigured as world cinema nature documentary with aspects of Cronenberg horror, then you have only just begun to embrace this film.A few years ago I listened to a Blue States album and the cover reminded me of this film so I watched it again. And I keep watching it. It's haunting, worrying, apocalyptic, cool, beautifully photographed and minimalist in its attitude to conventional drama and character. The actors are amazing, though. Michael Murphy. Understated and subtle. Nigel Davenport. A Don!Finally, If you are afraid of ants, DO NOT watch this film. The idea that they could truly harm humankind is outlandish and beautiful. I love ants, so it's OK.