28th of February 2020
The Invisible man is directed and written by Leigh Whannel. It’s loosely based on the HG Wells story of the same name. It follows Elisabeth Moss as Cecile who in the first act of the movie escapes her abusive relationship with an optic scientist Adrian played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. For the first five to ten minutes of the movie we follow Cecile as she quietly tries to tiptoe her way around the house gathering her things and escaping to the road where her sister Emily is waiting. Immediately as a viewer you are thrown into the deep end about how the movie will play out. You sit on the edge of your seat, holding your breath as Cecile avoids making noise trying to escape. I loved this as it basically involves you into how desperately Cecile wants to escape and foretells how daunting Adrian actually is.
Adrian then apparently commits suicide and makes Cecile his heir. However, Cecile then suspects she is still being stalked and eventually comes to the conclusion that Adrian with his knowledge of optics has turned himself invisible for the sole purpose of stalking her and driving her mad. The first acts of the movie are eerie and filled with thrills as Cecile literally seen as insane when suspicious things start occurring, like doors opening and floors creaking with no one around. The idea of being stalked by someone or something you can’t see becomes apparent that it is incredibly creepy.
The score of the movie fits so well. It’s quiet at times when the suspense is high, then explodes into a crescendo when the action is on. Such an amazing score really makes or breaks a movie and this really makes the movie. It makes the thrills more nail biting and it makes your knuckles go white when the action goes down.
The cinematography in the film is used by Whannel to only enhance the story and the creepiness of an invisible stalker. I would recommend it for a watch based on the camera shots alone. What I’m talking about is that in the story we have this invisible stalker whom literally seems to be in the room at all times following Cecile, watching her. The cinematography plays to this effect by using a wide shot of a location, such as the kitchen. Off to the side is Cecile cooking breakfast, while the other side of the shot is empty…or not entirely. It creates this illusion that we as the viewer know that Adrian is watching in this big obvious empty space. It creates this creepy and eeriness that the movie thrives on. Sometimes the camera will pan down corridors or hallways into rooms all by itself giving into the illusion once again that we are following invisible Adrian.
Elisabeth Moss is a phenomenal actress and her talents are on display in this movie as she is basically a tormented and abused soul. Your heart wrenches for her as you see the her wrought with emotion and fear. She is truly the stand out of the movie and adds to the atmosphere of it.
I didn’t find much wrong with the movie. There were plenty of twists and turns and thrills that made me love it more and more. The final few acts of the movie turns from a creepy thriller to a bit more of an action flick. Whannel is amazing with his action sequences, as seen in his movie Upgrade, however i felt this movie didn’t require it. The ending I felt was a tad too long and could have ended a bit more suddenly which would have been more of a fit.
In all, The Invisible Man is a modern revitalized movie from the HG Wells story that hits all the right notes when it comes to an intense thriller. Elisabeth Moss is great. Leigh Whannel continues to show how great of a director and screenplay writer he is.
This movie is a must watch as I for one am hooked as a Leigh Whannel fan.
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