Logan Sork Film Reviews
The Invisible Man
For the past few years, Universal has been trying to reignite one of the most iconic brands of all time: The Classic Universal Monsters. These characters have stood the test of time and are some of the most iconic faces when it comes to horror. To say that the results of trying to recapture the magic of those characters in more recent films are mixed would be putting it lightly. While the 1999 The Mummy remains a personal favorite of mine, more recent efforts like 2014’s Dracula Untold and 2017’s The Mummy were nothing short of disastrous. Universal has failed twice in trying to re-imagine its classic characters, which made me extremely worried about this film. Luckily though, third times the charm, and while it does have some flaws, the Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man recaptures the heart of those original films.
The Invisible Man is written and directed by Leigh Whannell and is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name. The film stars Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. The story follows Cecilia (Moss) as she escapes from her highly intelligent, yet also emotionally and physically abusive, boyfriend, Adrian (Cohen). After hiding out for several days with her friends, she learns that Adrian has since committed suicide and will inherit his vast fortune. Despite her relief that she has finally left that part of her life behind, a series of increasingly strange occurrences lead her to believe that Adrian may not be gone after all.
As far as updating the classic monsters, this is by far the best one I’ve seen in terms of the scare factor. While most other modern interpretations of these characters have been over the top in terms of filmmaking techniques, Whannell smartly takes a less is more approach. With limited visual effects, simple camera movements and small practical effects, Whannell is able to create tense sequences revolving around the idea that there may be someone else in the house without ever actually showing them. These simple techniques combined with simple yet creepy production design as well as an intense score create some truly intense sequences that will have you looking at every corner of the screen, knowing full well you won’t see the threat. While it may sound not that scary, it is actually quite the opposite and proves that the phrase “less is more” is completely true when talking about creating tension in films.
Another good element in this film that really sells the concept of the title character are the excellent performances. Elisabeth Moss captures the tortured psyche of Cecilia beautifully, creating an all too realistic portrayal of victims of abusive relationships. Aldis Hodge as Cecilia’s cop friend is great, whose banter with Cecelia and his daughter makes the characters feel like genuinely real people rather than movie characters. Also good is Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who makes the most of his limited screen time to portray Adrian’s psychopathic tendencies. The only weak link in the cast is Harriet Dyer as Cecelia’s sister, who tends to overact in much of the scenes she’s in and looks especially bad when compared to Moss’ more nuanced performance. But despite that one weak link, the rest of the cast does a perfect job of selling the danger of the situations they are put in, making an already intense film even more so.
The central story is also very engaging, as the film updates the classic source material in a way that differentiates itself, yet also sheds light on the touchy subject of domestic abuse and the damage it causes to its victims. While it may not be the first film to cover such topics, it does so in a way that benefits the horror elements of the film without impeding it. The idea of someone who has traumatized someone emotionally and physically still having some sort of influence over that person is a very scary thing that happens all too often in the real world. This film uses that idea cleverly to set up our main character’s traumatic past and makes this new threat all the more real and terrifying. It’s also a very empowering story that never gets too preachy, resulting in an inspiring power story that never feels phony or full of itself.
While all of these elements are great, this film is far from perfect. The horror sequences and setups are indeed scary. Sometimes though, they ask a little too much in terms of logic and transportation issues. There are several sequences that could’ve been avoided alltogether had someone just moved slightly to one side or stayed in one location. There are also certain plot threads that don’t really go anywhere, bringing to question why they were even in the film to begin with. The movie is also a victim of the multiple endings problem, going on far longer than the initial climax would have you think it would. While it is by no means terrible, the denouement in the film deflates much of the tension and show that the initial ending brought on. Although the final moments of the film aren’t bad, it still would’ve been better to end on what was a high note rather than an okay one.
Though these flaws are noticeable, they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the overall film, which honors the original source material and updates it for a modern audience in extremely effective ways. The use of simple effects for great impact is what the original monster films were all about, and this film more than captures their creepy spirit. With intense and thrilling sequences as well as grounded performances and an empowering story at its core, this re-imagining is one that will manage to please fans of the original just as well as new ones.
8.5/10