The Invisible Man Review
8 / 10. A very effective Sci-Fi thriller, a scary analogy of real-life abusive relationships *MINOR SPOILERS*
The Invisible Man is an effective Sci-Fi horror thriller film written and directed by Leigh Whannell, based on the book, The Invisible Man, by H. G. Wells (1897).
One of the creepiest films I’ve seen in a while, The Invisible Man is a story that’s been told and adapted many times, but this is by far the most sinister.
The Invisible Man focuses on Cecilia’s experience of her life trapped with her abusive and wealthy engineer husband, Adrian, her escape to start and new life, and then how her life once again becomes filled with fear. Following her escape and then Adrian’s apparent suicide, Cecilia experiences strange events and feels an unseen presence stalking her and tries to prove to those around her that she is not insane.
Whilst there is a Sci-Fi element to the film, the threat posed is real and a scary reality for many people. Those around her don’t believe that she is being threatened and stalked, as there is no evidence apart from what Cecilia is experiencing alone and they think she may be losing her mind.
The inimitable Elisabeth Moss, one of my favourites, is perfect for the role of Cecilia, bringing a varying emotional ride to the role which relies on her to propel the story forward. The opening scene is taut and sets the tone for events to come, mainly through Moss’s body language and facial expressions, she is escaping a true monster. Following Adrian’s demise, her fresh experience of fear starts with small things, and then escalates quickly to pure torment.
The film acts as a very real analogy of stalking, and/or abusive relationships. Even when someone leaves and that person can’t hurt them or be seen, they can still have a very real hold of terror over their target.
Many scenes show you the surroundings from Cecilia’s eyes, which is effective, and you are always looking to see if you can see him, if a curtain moves, etc. I’m not sure if sometimes I was imagining the presence there, lurking. The special effects work well, but once the invisibility method is shown, the film loses a bit of its sinister dread, but this is very near the end. There are well choreographed, unpredictable scenes and some inventive methods to try and expose him are used.
Aldis Hodge as Cecilia’s childhood friend, James, and his daughter, Sydney (Storm Reid - great in Euphoria as Rue’s sister), give strong performances and a brief solace to Cecilia’s plight.
Oliver Jackson-Cohen is effective in his short number of scenes as Adrian.
It features a satisfying and well-planned ending.
“We need each other, don’t we?”