THE INVISIBLE MAN – A Review by Cynthia Flores
Writer-director Leigh Whannell is the man that brought us such horror classics as the Saw franchise and Insidious films. So, the bar is pretty high on his taking this story from the classic HG Wells novel The Invisible Man and telling it with a modern twist.
The film tells the story of Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) who is trapped in a violent and controlling relationship. Her husband, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), is a brilliant optics scientist who has made millions with his inventions. He is obsessed with Cecilia and will do anything to keep her under his control. As the film opens, Cecilia escapes in the dead of night with the help of her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer) and disappears into hiding. She is staying with a childhood friend James Lanier (Aldis Hodge), who is a detective now and his teenage daughter Sydney (Storm Reid). Two weeks after her escape, she is told that Adrian committed suicide and has left her a vast fortune. Tom Griffin (Michael Dorman), a lawyer and Adrian’s brother, explains the rules of the trust and how much she will get. Cecilia suspects that her husband’s death was a hoax after a series of eerie coincidences. After Cecilia discovers that her husband has created an optics suit that will allow the wearer to appear invisible, she reaches out for help to take him down. Unfortunately for her, no one believes her, especially after she’s framed for murder. Cecilia’s sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
First off, I’m glad that the writer/director decided to go the route of a thriller rather than just a slasher horror film to tell this story. Unfortunately for him, the tension at times is a bit laughable and unbelievable. And some of the action seems like a damsel in distress porn instead of this woman becoming strong enough to fight back. Also, I don’t know why filmmakers think that all abusive, psychotic, and rich husbands must live in a cold sterile cement style home overlooking the ocean. Think Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) and you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. Adrian’s house looks almost exactly like the one Julia Roberts ran away from in her film.
I give The Invisible Man 3.5-stars. It has some scary good moments, but you won’t be freaked out after seeing it.
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Written by: Leigh Whannell, H.G. Wells (novel)
Rated R
Running Time: 2h 4min
Thriller / Sci-Fi
Wide Release: February 28th
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dryer, Michael Dorman
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
