This is definitely one of the 50 movies that you should see before you die; it might even help ease your passing. “The Incredible Shrinking Man” is about a man who very gradually becomes smaller as a result of radioactive exposure, taking many months (not an instant like Marvel’s “Ant Man.”) Technically, the movie is science fiction, but it plays out like a modern-day horror story where a simple living room transforms into a monstrous and deadly landscape. Even with the special-effects limitations of the time, the story comes across with much greater realism than any CGI can produce. But what makes this movie transcendental, not just a great sci-fi movie but a great movie, is how it touches on the universal phenomenon of “shrinking.” Perhaps it wasn’t the intention of the filmmaker, but the shrinking process of our hapless hero presents a striking metaphor for what happens during certain life-changing events, such as when we get cancer or when we become terminally ill. The affected person seems to gradually fade away and often does physically shrink. Whether you want a thrilling, fun adventure movie or you’re looking deep insights on some truths in life, this has it all.