Pros: new story about invisibility; decent performance by Elisabeth Moss; there are a couple of attempts to present a surprise in the plot Cons: the film spoils its obviousness “The Invisible Man” / The Invisible Man
Genre fantasy, thriller
Directed by Leigh Whannell
Starring Elisabeth Moss (Cecilia Cass), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Adrian Griffin), Storm Reid (Sydney), Aldis Hodge (James), Amalie Golden (Annie), Michael Dorman (Tom), Harriet Dyer (Cecilia’s sister), etc. .
Компании Goalpost Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Dark Universe, Universal Pictures
Year of release 2020
IMDb website
Universal Studios has already made one attempt to restart old stories in a new way. This is how the adventure film “The Mummy” was released with the resilient Tom Cruise in the title role. Its viewership ratings weren’t as good as they would have liked, so the studio didn’t move forward with a sequel about an ancient curse and the living dead, putting plans for a franchise on hold.
After such a failure, Universal did not abandon the idea of remaking other classic monster films, deciding to approach the creation of stories from a different angle. The next project was the science fiction thriller “The Invisible Man,” the script of which was written by Leigh Whannell (he directed the film Upgrade and was also one of the authors of the idea for the bloody massacre in the Saw film series). He created modern history by shifting the focus from the mad inventor to his chosen victim.
This is a good choice of subject matter, since the last film about the invisible man, directed by Paul Verhoeven, is still remembered by many viewers. The film, released in 2000, followed a scientist who developed an invisibility formula and gradually turned into a brutal killer. Verhoeven showed all the stages of his madness and pleasure derived from violence, fully revealing the identity of the one who gained an advantage over others.
In the new film by Leigh Whannell, who also worked on the direction, everything is different. At the center of the story, he places a woman named Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss), who is attempting to escape from her tyrant husband. When she changes her place of residence, she is informed of the death of her husband. Now Cecilia is completely free, and also rich – her husband, who was engaged in optical development, left her his fortune. This is the best time to start over and stop living in fear. However, Cecilia cannot shake the feeling that someone is watching her, trying to drive her crazy.
The film “The Invisible Man” is an example of a modern psychological thriller that does not overuse special effects, using them less often than expected. Most of the time, the viewer is kept in suspense by the cameraman, who takes wide shots, hinting that unexpected movement may occur in some part of the screen. Together with him, the atmosphere is persistently intensified by loud and harsh music written by Benjamin Wallfisch (author of the soundtrack to the film Blade Runner 2049). Over time you get used to it, but at the beginning of the picture, alarming melodies set the right atmosphere.
And, of course, the best moments of the thriller are achieved thanks to the performance of Elisabeth Moss (known for the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale). The actress perfectly conveys tension, trembling every muscle of her face. As events unfold, Elisabeth Moss does not lose her credibility, reaching the point of physical exhaustion.
Unfortunately, all the successful techniques of the film are spoiled by the general predictability of the film, which lies in its title. We know very well who is bullying the heroine and why, so at some point everything becomes very obvious and no longer scary (but still invisible).
By the middle of the film, the script will present several surprises, reminding you that the tyrant not only mocks the main character, but also knows how to manipulate others. With this, Leigh Whannell returns interest in the plot for a while, frightening him with the hopelessness of the situation.
Overall, The Invisible Man successfully portrays the impact of domestic violence on the victim using fantastical elements. The invisibility of the criminal in front of other people increases the feeling of powerlessness, but since this is a Hollywood film, the oppressor receives a fitting rebuff. And Universal Studios will most likely release a spin-off soon.
Conclusion:
a good thriller that looks easy, albeit very predictable
