Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man uses being out of sight to drive Elizabeth Moss out of her mind

A very 21st Century adaptation of H G Wells’ classic “The Invisible Man”, Leigh Whannel takes almost as many liberties with the source material as he does with logic in order to deliver a tense and oppressive thriller, a desire in which he largely succeeds.

Having escaped from her wealthy and abusive boyfriend, optical technology mogul Adrian Griffin, Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) is just starting to piece her life together when she receives news that her ex has taken his own life and left his entire fortune to her. While her friends suggest she is just being paranoid, a series of increasingly disturbing events convince her that she is being stalked by someone nobody can see.

At the heart of the film’s success is an incredibly compelling performance from Elizabeth Moss as the psychologically abused victim of a controlling partner attempting recovery while being plgued by fears both real and imagined. It’s through her that the film gains its power to have you on the edge of your seat.

Possibly the most effective sequence is the one which opens the film, as Cecilia makes her nighttime escape for her boyfriend’s palatial, high-tech mansion. It’s a masterclass of tension and sound design which unfortunately sets up some stumbling blocks for the film later. Although the campaign of harassment and intimidation is nicely played as a haunting, or a poltergeist-like torment, the fact that the main character was at pains to move so quietly in the film’s opening raises questions about how eponymous character manages to move so silently around a normal house.

He’s the Invisible Man, for sure, but it’s never addressed how he manages to be the Inaudible Man during sequences where he’s essentially living in the attic of the house where Cecilia is staying. There’s not a creak or a groan of a floorboard or joist, which seems curious given how much the film emphasises sound in its opening. He’s also apparently able to come within mere inches of a person without being detected which suggests he’s also, somehow, the Inolfactory Man.

In the novel, and in previous interpretations, it’s the power of invisibility which corrupts the noble scientist, twisting him into villain or monster and this is the first to bestow the power of invisibility on someone who was already a sociopathic douchebag. It’s also the first time the power has been the result of technological augmentation rather than chemical or physical alteration. The eventual reveal of the invisibility MacGuffin only raises further questions around the sound problem and will likely alarm those who suffer from trypophobia.

Walking a smart allegorical line of the ‘believe women’ advocacy of the Me Too movement, the film starts to lose its footing in a third act which strains its credibility beyond the breaking point. With the ubiquity of cameras and surveillance, Griffin’s increasingly brazen behaviour inexplicably goes unnoticed to the point where it undermines the film’s carefully built-up atmosphere.

Despite these lapses, it’s still a chilling psychological thriller with an astonishing central performance from Moss and a great spin on a veteran story.

the invisible man review
Score 7/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore (2022) Review

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore (2022) Review

Fantastic failures in storytelling and where they're heading FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE, the third and likely final instalment in the Fantastic Beasts series, finds the franchise striving to rectify the missteps of its predecessors, with veteran Wizarding World...

Moonraker (1979) Review

Moonraker (1979) Review

Suck it, Sharknado. Bond took Jaws to space 35 years before you thought of doing it! So, not “For Your Eyes Only” then? Thanks to the box office shattering impact of “Star Wars” in 1977, Cubby Broccoli – ever a man with an eye for an opportunity – quickly altered his plans and...

Doctor Who: Village Of The Angels Review

Doctor Who: Village Of The Angels Review

For Flux sake - Village Of The Angels provides a few answers but poses even more questions VILLAGE OF THE ANGELS is, notably, the only episode of DOCTOR WHO: FLUX where the writing credits are shared, so it’s perhaps not surprising that it’s also the first episode of the season...

Talk To Me (2023) Review

Talk To Me (2023) Review

She's back! Sweetie G returns from beyond the veil to talk to us about Talk To Me Hey folks, Sweetie G here, long time no read!! Yep, it’s been a while since I was last inspired to put fingers to keyboard, but here I am, ready to talk to you about TALK TO ME, the new horror...

Sicario 2: Soldado (2018) Review

Sicario 2: Soldado (2018) Review

Sicario 2: Soldado offers America a tangerine's dream. It’s impossible to view “Sicario 2: Soldado” in isolation from the current real-world events along America’s southern border. Indeed, the film finds itself cruelly separated from the comfort of director Denis Villeneuve and...

Black Bag (2025) Review

Black Bag (2025) Review

Guess who's coming to dinner? Steven Soderbergh returns to the world of effortless cool and artful cunning with Black Bag, a film that offers us a stylish glimpse at the statecraft of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by way of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The central conceit is deliciously...

Treehouse Of Horror X

Treehouse Of Horror X

No room for Kang or Kodos in the main stories of Treehouse Of Horror X this year, so they're bumped up to introductory hosts in a 'Live from fabulous Centauri City' introductory bumper which, it turns out The Simpsons are watching on their couch, in various personas from the previous...

The Beastmaster (1982) Review

The Beastmaster (1982) Review

All hail the real Tiger King! "The Beastmaster" is one of the rarer films in my Comfort Movie pantheon in that I loved it so much, I was never willing to risk even the slightest sliver of my affection for it by watching either of the belated sequels or the TV spin-off which I only...