‘The Invisible Man’ Review

In the film’s opening sequence, Cecilia Kass, played by Elisabeth Moss, follows through with escaping her manipulative, abusive relationship with wealthy scientist Adrian Griffin. Cecilia flees Adrian’s impressive home overlooking the Pacific, drugging him with Diazepam on her way out. Cecilia is able to escape with the help of her sister Emily after a violent struggle. The aggressive and controlling nature of Adrian during the escape foreshadows just how horrific he really is. Even though the development of Cecilia and Adrian’s past is not depicted in the film, due to a knockout performance from Moss, it is evident that she is emotionally and physically traumatized from the events that occurred in Adrian’s eerie house. Even before Adrian starts to stalk Cecilia wearing an invisible suit of his invention, director and writer Leigh Whannell makes it clear to audiences that the man was a monster in the first place.

‘The Invisible Man’ relies on Moss to make the audience care about what is happening to Cecilia, and she certainly does not disappoint. Her expressiveness and ability to convey her thoughts without saying a word truly make the film remarkable. There were multiple plot holes and predictable storylines, but the script overall is constructed in a clever and thoughtful way. This type of story could have been handled in a number of dreadful generic ways, but thanks to Whannell, the film is surprisingly inventive. This is not just a collection of cheap jumpscares: it deals with an intelligent narrative about how women can be gaslit in harmful relationships until even they question their sanity. We know throughout the film that Cecilia is not just imagining her dead partner, and it’s frustrating to watch everyone she loves doubt her.

Cecilia hides out with her childhood friend, a police officer named James and his young daughter Sydney, who wants to attend fashion school. During her stay, Cecilia cannot even leave the house, terrified of being found by Adrian. After finally getting settled, Cecilia receives the news from her sister that Adrian has committed suicide. Adrian’s brother Tom, who is in charge of the will, meets with Cecilia to tell her that she has been left with millions of dollars. Cecilia uses some of the money to set up a bank account for Sydney’s education.

What follows is a tonal shift in the story. This is not a film about Cecilia’s redemption: it is about how she is continuously dealing with this relationship even after escaping it. Cecilia is disturbed by an unseen presence in the house. It is evident that Adrian has figured out a way to keep controlling Cecilia’s life, ruining her interviews, her health, and her interpersonal relationships. Everyone assumes Cecilia is having a mental breakdown, because that is definitely what it appears to be. It would make sense for Cecilia to think Adrian is still controlling her from beyond the grave. But that is certainly not the case.

‘The Invisible Man’ does not rely on showing scary images to shock audiences. What is more shocking is the fact that you cannot see exactly why all these strange things keep happening. The camera occasionally focuses on setpieces for a few seconds before going back to whatever else is occurring on screen, reinforcing the idea that none of these characters will be able to know that that empty mass is actually a person. Effective sound design and score also add to the rising tension. Modern horror movies are becoming increasingly reliant on loud noises to draw a response from viewers. But films like ‘The Invisible Man’ know that the eerie quiet is the most effective way to terrify an audience.

The film benefits from Whannell’s direction, who is clearly in control of his craft. Simple camera movements down long hallways, or panning away from Cecilia to random empty spaces add to the overall uneasy tone. The longer the camera focuses on simple imagery, the more unnerved the viewers become.

‘The Invisible Man’ could have been any other generic horror film, but its intelligent narrative and excellent main character make this an important, unsettling watch.