In recent years, Universal Pictures has delved into the well of classic movie monsters, and the latest of these is The Invisible Man. Based loosely on the H.G. Wells novel of the same name, Universal's Invisible Man reboot was originally envisioned to join their Dark Universe of interconnected films featuring movie monsters like Dracula, the Mummy and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. However, when Tom Cruise's The Mummy underperformed, the studio changed course, partnering with Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions and taking their Invisible Man reboot in a new direction - which included dropping original star Johnny Depp. The Invisible Man puts a wholly fresh and compelling spin on the classic monster, delivering a cleverly scary movie with a fantastic lead performance.
The Invisible Man follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), a woman who escapes from her controlling and abusive partner Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) with the help of her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer). While Cecilia is staying with her friend James (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter Sydney (Storm Reid), she learns Adrian has killed himself and left part of his fortune to her on the stipulation she doesn't commit any crimes. Though Cecilia tries to move on with her life, a series of creepy occurrences convince her that Adrian is not only still alive, but has figured out a way to render himself invisible. As he grows increasingly violent and threatens the lives of Cecilia's friends and family, she'll need to prove she's being stalked by an invisible man.
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell (Upgrade, Insidious: Chapter 3), The Invisible Man showcases the filmmaker's ability to create high tension and slick, visceral action. Whannell plays with empty frames of the film to build suspense and turn every empty space into a potential threat hiding the monster of the Invisible Man. When the action ratchets up and Cecilia and Adrian come to blows, Whannell's direction works best when it puts viewers in Cecilia shoes - and worst when his stark shots highlight some unfortunate CGI. For the most part, though, the Invisible Man and his fights with fully visible characters are seamless and uncomfortably realistic. Altogether, Whannell's skill makes The Invisible Man an immersive and thrilling piece of horror filmmaking.
While The Invisible Man might be named for Jackson-Cohen's Adrian Griffin - and he slyly melds charm and menace in the few scenes he receives - the movie truly belongs to Moss's masterful performance as Cecilia. Whannell's reinvisioned story for The Invisible Man turns Adrian into an abusive romantic partner whose ability to render himself invisible becomes a tool for his abuse. This puts Moss in the position to carry almost all of the emotional weight of the film, and she does so exceptionally well, especially since Whannell's script isn't quite as polished as his directing vision. Unfortunately, the story of The Invisible Man, though it has a great deal of potential, seems more of an afterthought to the visuals, becoming merely a vehicle to deliver twists even when those twists aren't fully earned. Still, thanks in large part to Moss's performance, The Invisible Man becomes a fascinating dive into a survivor's psyche wrapped up in a compelling and truly scary horror movie.
Ultimately, The Invisible Man is a well-directed and well-acted movie with a fine enough script that isn't quite as up to snuff as other aspects of the film. Whannell delivers an engaging and visually interesting horror film even if the story won't work for everyone. The Invisible Man twists itself into perhaps too many knots, failing to provide enough setup or explanation for every turn to feel as clever as it clearly wants viewers to think it is. And while Moss's performance would ideally provide a thoughtful exploration of Cecilia's mental state, certain story beats seem more contrived to deliver a specific ending than provide a natural progression of this survivor's story. It may leave some viewers feeling disconnected from the emotional throughline of the story, even as the technical merits of The Invisible Man's directing and acting make for an enjoyable (if shallow) horror movie experience.
As a result, The Invisible Man may not fully live up to its potential for some viewers in terms of how the film explores the themes and fears at the center of its story - but Whannell undoubtedly delivers a solidly scary horror movie. The Invisible Man is worth checking out in theaters for horror fans and anyone intrigued by the reboot's premise or trailers. Because of the film's subject matter and the honesty with which Whannell and Moss explore Cecilia's mental state (without depicting more abuse than is necessary for the story), The Invisible Man may be a traumatic viewing experience for some audience members. But on the whole, those looking for a modern and cleverly shot horror movie with plenty of thrilling scares won't go wrong with The Invisible Man.
The Invisible Man is now playing in U.S. theaters nationwide. It is 124 minutes long and rated R for some strong bloody violence and language.
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