Released: 28th February 2020 (UK and US)
Length: 124 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Elizabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer and Michael Dorman
At a time when nearly every major studio was attempting to launch their own cinematic universe, 2017’s The Mummy bombed with both critics and audiences. Following a course correction, Universal have taken a more contained route with The Invisible Man.
Taking on a more modern, technological approach, the film follows Cecilia Kass (Elizabeth Moss) who flees from her abusive partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a leading designer of optics technology. When Adrian apparently commits suicide, Cecilia begins to relax; but the cruel figure slowly starts to creep back into her life, all while remaining completely unseen. Our protagonist is caught up in a desperate and frightening struggle alongside her close friends to expose her attacker and escape his controlling ways. The film follows Cee closely as her situation goes from bad to worse as she is inevitably blamed for sinister events that transpire. It’s genuinely impressive how the film incorporates a very real and serious issue into the narrative and in the first act, The Invisible Man works to highlight the paranoia and trauma she has experienced. As Adrian intrudes more and more into Cee’s life, the film layers twists in a sharply abrupt manner, reflecting the ways he toys and manipulates her into doing his bidding. With this intelligent pacing, the film is leaps and bounds better than its predecessor; only a few misplaced character decisions in the middle segment keep it from reaching the heights of the best thrillers.
With its small cast, The Invisible Man takes care to ensure we care about each main member. Elizabeth Moss is great throughout the film; at first she’s an anxious wreck, having been horribly pressed down by domestic abuse, yet through her resourceful nature, she transforms into a character we root for all the way through. What’s also greatly appreciated in the film is how many of the characters (for the most part) are written in a realistic way; the film distances itself from its contemporaries which focus on people making silly decisions. In this way, you feel the close bond Cee shares with her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer) and friend James Lanier (Aldis Hodge); as a result, you feel more invested in their plight as well as the main character. The antagonist is a deeply depraved and conniving one, and despite not speaking much throughout the film, Oliver Jackson Cohen does a great job of making you hate him. The deconstruction of his obsessive mannerisms and the way he twists the lives of others is always hanging over the film and the audience wonders just what abhorrent deed he’ll commit next.
The Invisible Man relies on a very minimalistic presentation to tell its story; environments are clean cut, with specific items (such as a lab of optics technology) used to convey plot elements. The camera glides around each area slowly, always keeping the audience on edge as to where the antagonist might be hiding The film’s use of sound forms the central crux of its tension; both the characters and the audience are never too sure where the titular antagonist is lurking and we share the unease that permeates the narrative. Items move and crash abruptly, moments of brutality race in with a swift reprise and the synth-based soundtrack by Benjamin Wallfisch always punctuates the proceedings with the right amount of punch and fear. Finally, the film’s limited use of special effects is well done, particularly how they interact with rainfall in the latter half of the flick. As a thriller, Invisible Man doesn’t rely too much on effects to make its impact, wisely focusing on its story and characters.
The repackaged Invisible Man is the first big surprise of 2020; having cast off its extended universe baggage, it pursues a well realised and tense narrative with some very likeable characters to match. Overcoming its smaller issues, this standalone flick is well worth your time.
Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)
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