Review: The Invisible Man

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

In recent years Universal has poured the equivalent of the GDP of several small countries into remaking their monster movie canon – giving grotesque CGI makeovers to likes of Dracula and The Mummy, and thinking they could create their own monster mash version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Through so much strife, we can now thank the horror movie heavens for the new take on THE INVISIBLE MAN, which masterfully flips the script on the story for the modern age, reimagining the title baddie as a monster that very much exists in our real world, and one we may not be able to see even if they were staring us right in the eyes.

 

A far cry from the 1933 film starring a bandage and sunglass-clad Claude Rains as the titular villain, this new version from writer-director Leigh Whannell centers on Elisabeth Moss’ Cecilia, a woman who has been abused and tormented for years by her boyfriend, optics technology guru Adrian (played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After she decides enough is enough and that she has to leave Adrian, she learns weeks later that he’s killed himself, leaving her millions in his will. But just when she feels she can begin to rebuild her life she begins sensing Adrian isn’t as dead and burned as everyone believes, discovering he’s now using invisibility tech to torment her even further.

 

Just as much evoking the Invisible Man as George Cukor’s GASLIGHT, the angle of a character having to suffer terrors from an unseen threat, only for no one else to believe them and therefore label them mad, is far from a new one, but the approach is given so much more weight thanks to a sympathetic portrait of a woman having to deal with the lingering impact of her abuser. Both the movie’s thematic roots and visceral chills are drawn from the pain Cecilia experiences with having to constantly live through her past trauma, only for no one to believe her. Honoring the thematic core at the start, her early challenges are reflected in her day-to-day struggles, like determining if today is the day she’s finally going to leave the house, which can have a jarring result.

 

 

Whether or not real survivors of abuse will find these early moments relatable or triggering isn’t something I can speak to, but on a cinematic front, they work on two extraordinarily levels by giving insight into Cecilia’s psyche and building the tension for the eventual invisible man terror. When those scares do get going, Whannell doesn’t waste a single frame, proving why he’s one of the top horror talents in the business. Using a series of wide and full shots, he creates an unrelenting sense of dread wherein both Cecilia and the audience know the invisible Adrian is lurking about, but where and what he’s doing leaves us all in perpetual suspense. It’s here when the movie takes on the form of both a monster movie and a ghost story, with classic bits like creaking doors, slowly-removed bed covers and more being injected with a fresh sense of malice, knowing a very real-world monster is the cause of it all. At its most supremely engrossing, you’ll find yourself paying attention to every item and every detail in the frame, looking for any signs of the villain and what he may be up to.

 

A marvel of the movie is indeed the villain himself, and while Jackson-Cohen doesn’t get much face time, the lack of visible presence is made up for by the script’s ability to drive home just how malicious and manipulative he is. Adrian’s whole game is toying with the people around him, which makes the terror he brings more palpable, as we know it’s not just chaos for the sake of it. He’s doing what he can to trigger Cecilia little by little, which ensures that when the scares start coming, there’s an emotional, sinister core at the root of it all that makes the spooky business all the more effective beyond the visceral factors.  

 

Of course, the biggest dollop of praise goes to the star at the center of it all, Moss, who continues to prove why she is among the gold standard of actors working today. Taking us through the cycles of Cecilia’s trauma, her fear, struggles to get people to believe what she’s experiencing is real and her journey to newfound strength, her range of emotions and expressions is endlessly captivating. If Whannell’s skills behind the camera draw you in on a visceral level, Moss will grip you on the emotional front. It’s impossible not to be completely engaged in her journey from start to finish – and anyone who still hasn’t been exposed to her brilliance from her work on projects like THE HANDMAID’S TALE and last year’s criminally overlooked HER SMELL will walk away having gotten the full force of her genius.

 

 

Moss is front and center for the whole film, with almost zero time spent away from her, but there is a solid supporting cast around her. We have Michael Dorman as Adrian's suspicious brother, Tom, but who has also been victim to the villain. More importantly, there’s Cecilia’s childhood friend James, played by Aldis Hodge, and his daughter Sydney, played by Storm Reid, whom she rooms with after escaping Adrian. They are her support system, which eventually crumbles, but not in a way that feels forced or vicious. Despite how hard it is for James to understand what Cecilia is experiencing, there’s always the feeling he’s trying to genuinely help her, and Hodge is talented enough to let the sympathy triumph over what room there is for anger.

 

What faults there are should be expected from a movie that needs to blend visual effects with shock and suspense, and while Whannell has no problem with the latter two, there are some moments where effects-driven scenes can look a little wonky. I mean, you’re dealing with an invisible man attacking very visible people, so you should be prepared for that to not always look stupendous at times, such as the first big clash between him and Cecilia. But even still, as Whannell showcased with his awesome sci-fi flick UPGRADE, he has just as much a knack for stylish action as he does taut scares, so certain sequences are done with bursts of clever violence and gore that will keep you on your toes. There are some certain bloody moments I dare not spoil but will only admit that they caused me to gasp on a level I haven’t with a horror movie in some time.

 

A ghost story and a monster movie all rolled up in a compelling drama the examines the nature of trauma and abuse, this latest horror remake more than justifies itself with genuine scares and a smart story that uses its subject matter to reflect on the very real horrors survivors go through, but that others either can’t or elect not to see. That latter factor will certainly hit some harder than most, but on a surface, spooky level, THE INVISIBLE MAN is one of the first great horror movies of the decade and one that proves Moss deserves at least a dozen statues honoring her brilliance. Fuck it, make it two dozen.