Film Review – The Invisible Man (2020)

Horror, Mystery | USA, 2019 | 15 | 29th June 2020 (UK)| Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital | Universal Pictures | Dir.Leigh Whannell | Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid

Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) is the victim of abuse and the time has come for her to do something about it. Making her escape, she goes to live with her friend, James (Aldis Hodge) who also happens to be a cop. Cecilia also has a contentious relationship with her sister, Emily (Harriet Dyer) so when she comes to inform Cecilia that her ex has died, Cecilia finds it hard to believe. However, after the executor of the will tells her what her ex has left her, Cecilia starts to relax and settle into her new life. Unfortunately, Cecilia feels her troubles are far from over when she starts to suspect that her ex is still alive and has found a way to become invisible.

The Invisible Man is the latest film to be inspired by Universal’s pantheon of horror villains. After the previous attempt at bringing a shared universe to the screen with the help of Tom Cruise, Universal went back to the drawing board and with the help of writer/director Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man brings a modern twist on a horror classic, making it just as relevant as ever.

Updating the story and grounding it to the modern day with a scenario that unfortunately so many can relate to, The Invisible Man puts Moss front and centre and her performance and Whannell’s script firmly puts the audience in Cecilia’s shoes. Much of the movie is spent with Cecilia while she is alone and Moss’ performance effectively brings out all the paranoia and realism that shows how a victim of abuse may be affected psychologically. Although Cecilia’s leap of logic, assuming her ex has become invisible might be far-fetched, it doesn’t detract from the tension when she’s home alone and just waiting for her ex to return.

However, once the extent of the invisibility is revealed the movie changes from a slowburn horror to a science fiction thriller and for some this may take away some of the tension. Saying that though, The Invisible Man is an entertaining and thrilling movie that surely many audience members will have been waiting for, regardless of the unexpected hype built by its premature home rental period.

The home release also features some behind the scenes featurettes, interviews and deleted scenes that may interest audiences as they see what could have been a tonal shift.