A Reel Review: THE INVISIBLE MAN

Even though it is considered to be part of the original Universal Studios classic “monster” family, THE INVISIBLE MAN never reached the heights of popularity as its cousins DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, or even THE WOLFMAN. The character has had its fair share of sequels and loose remakes, but filmmakers never could find a fresh angle outside of clever or cheap camera tricks…and audiences could never latch onto a character that is never seen. But here in 2020, director Leigh Whannell has found a way to crack the code. 

Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss), escapes from her abusive husband Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), and finds haven with friends (Aldis Hodges and Storm Reid). News comes of Adrian’s suicide, but when strange thing begin to happen around her, Cecilia becomes increasingly convinced that he somehow still there…

This version of THE INVISIBLE MAN separates itself from the old template by making the title character an antagonistic villain as opposed to a noble scientist whose experiments went awry. Director Leigh Whannell plays with the simple question of what would a person in today’s world do with the power of invisibility, and takes it a step further by exploring what an abusing husband would do with such an ability. Adrian is set up as a master manipulator, with the ability and resources to control everything around him, and when signs start to appear that he may not be dead, Cecilia finds her freedom in danger. 

The signs range from simple to terrifying, as the invisible man begins to torture Cecilia in the dead of night to broad daylight, with simple tricks ranging from messing with her medications, sending hateful emails to family, to pulling her covers off at night. These tricks grow more and more sadistic, with Cecilia eventually being suspected of beating her friends and eventually murder. The stakes are high for her, as she has inherited Adrian’s millions…but that inheritance depends on her staying out of jail or being declared mentally incompetent; a mental state that grows into question as she’s the only one who can sense the presence of a man that cannot be seen. 

Making the man who can not be seen a driving force in the story is the real power of THE INVISIBLE MAN. The camera moves away from characters, and focuses on empty spaces of rooms…giving us a hint where he may, or may not be hiding. It’s an un-nerving, and masterful job of getting under the skin of Cecilia and the audience; people may never look at empty corners in their houses the same way again. On top of that, there are some shocking happenings in the film that no one would see coming, and the strong script ducks and weaves around with more than one surprise. 

Elisabeth Moss is outstanding as she goes through the torment and desperately tries to convince those around her that her dead ex-husband is still lurking about. Her character is on the ragged edge for the entire film and she plays it perfectly. The rest of the cast is very good as well. 

The finale offers even more surprises, with a closing scene that puts a strong stamp on the message of abused wives and what they have to go through to find freedom from their tormenters. Leigh Whannell has not only made  a chilling thriller, but a relevant picture for today. This is one INVISIBLE MAN that has to be seen. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it