The Invisible Man is a re-imagining of the classic Universal horror film which itself was adapted from the H.G. Wells novel. The film stars Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Cecilia Kass, a woman desperately trying to evade her abusive genius husband Adrian Griffin, played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. When Griffin seemingly commits suicide, Cecilia tries to rebuild her life while staying with an old friend, Detective James Lanier and his daughter Sydney, played respectively by Aldis Hodge (WGN’s Underground) and Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time). Cecilia also gains a generous inheritance, permitting she doesn’t commit a crime or become mentally incompetent. As it turns out, her villainous ex-husband is alive and has somehow become invisible. Leigh Whannell, co-creator of the Saw franchise, writes and directs while horror-meister Jason Blum produces.
The Invisible Man had an audacious and controversial start as it was originally intended as part of Universal Studios’ aborted Dark Universe, which failed to launch with 2017’s The Mummy. The project had gone as far as casting Johnny Depp as the titular character, but once plans for the Dark Universe was scuttled due to the poor box-office performance and negative critical reception of The Mummy, the film was reborn as the first Monsters title handled by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions.
The result is an effective, efficient horror/thriller/mood piece. Elisabeth Moss imbues Cecilia Kass with a mix of doggedness and fragility from the very start of the film, as she makes her escape from her husband. Before he even turns invisible, she’s already frightened, rattled and shaking on a razor’s edge. Moss makes us care for Cecilia, and because we care for her, we’re scared for her. It’s an elemental rule of horror that far too many films in the genre get wrong (re: The Mummy). Once the core conceit of invisibility kicks in, we’re right at the precipice with Cecilia, knowing she can unravel into madness at any moment.
The way the Invisible Man as a character is dealt with in the film is very smart. Firstly, the narrative focus is moved away from the scientist directly to Cecilia, reframing the story as a horror film for the #MeToo era by confronting an abusive villain that despite his being invisible hews very closely to real life. Secondly, the Invisible Man true to form is unseen, no bandages, no hats nor shades (though his classic 1933 ensemble is given a sly nod).
We only gain insight to his state of mind through slasher-esque POV shots which make us complicit in his villainy, and little devious did-I-see-what-I-think-I-saw? nudges of objects. We only hear about Dr. Griffin’s abusive villainous ways through Cecilia’s and other secondhand accounts at the start of the film. But because we’ve adopted the Invisible Man’s POV, we’re committing these heinous acts and we’re torturing Cecilia Kass for our own delight. It’s sinister and brilliant.
As a result, the Invisible Man is essentially a non-character, reduced to a special effect for much of the running total. Instead of viewing his descent into madness, he is mad before the film begins. He is no tragic character, whose meddling with science proves to be his undoing. He is just a bully, using power and wealth to gain control over the one person he cannot control. His emotional and psychological abuse recalls the depraved exploits of powerful moguls and entertainers recently brought to justice in the #MeToo era.
While this subtext elevates the Invisible Man above a mere 21st-century slasher villain, it removes any nuance the character could have had and makes him one-dimensional. That said, Elisabeth Moss is so good as Cecilia Kass, and the original tale of The Invisible Man so antiquated, that most audiences won’t mind in the least. This version is pertinent to what is happening today, what with the relatively new phenomenon of toxic masculinity being held to account.
Leigh Whannell deserves a round of applause for such a savvy update of the story, for utilizing creepy shots of empty spaces, and dialing us into Cecilia’s crumbling headspace. Her isolation brought on by the Invisible Man’s torture games is reflected in isolating her in the frame, within the interior space. The jump scares, while cheap, are effective. Relying on old, tried-and-true tricks like sound design, composition and an uneasy score provided by Benjamin Wallfisch keep the production from wasteful pyrotechnics and unnecessary gloss. Whannell even makes room for a few standout set-pieces that recall his previous work in 2018’s Upgrade (also produced by Jason Blum) and remind the audience “oh yeah, this guy made Saw.”
This minimalist approach works for something like The Invisible Man, though it remains to be seen if that can also work for the other monsters in the Universal stable now under Blum’s microbudget purview. For now, this film is a remarkable reset for the Universal Monsters centered by a fantastic performance from Elisabeth Moss, and giving further credence to the old adage “less is more.”
Rating: 4 / 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ AND BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS’ “THE INVISIBLE MAN”
What you can’t see can hurt you. Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss (Us, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale) stars in a terrifying modern tale of obsession inspired by Universal’s classic monster character.
Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Moss) escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister (Harriet Dyer, NBC’s The InBetween), their childhood friend (Aldis Hodge, Straight Outta Compton) and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid, HBO’s Euphoria).
But when Cecilia’s abusive ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House) commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia’s sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
Jason Blum, our current-day master of the horror genre, produces The Invisible Man for his Blumhouse Productions. The Invisible Man is written, directed and executive produced by Leigh Whannell, one of the original conceivers of the Saw franchise who most recently directed Upgrade and Insidious: Chapter 3.
The film is also produced by Kylie du Fresne (Upgrade, The Sapphires) for Goalpost Pictures. The executive producers are Whannell, Beatriz Sequeira, Charles Layton, Rosemary Blight, Ben Grant, Couper Samuelson and Jeanette Volturno. The Invisible Man is a co-production of Goalpost Pictures Australia and Blumhouse Productions, in association with Nervous Tick, for Universal Pictures.
CAST
Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen
DIRECTED BY
Leigh Whannell
SCREENPLAY AND SCREEN STORY BY
Leigh Whannell
PRODUCERS
Jason Blum, p.g.a, Kylie du Fresne, p.g.a
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Leigh Whannell, Couper Samuelson, Beatriz Sequeira, Jeanette Volturno, Rosemary Blight, Ben Grant
Hashtag: #TheInvisibleMan
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