Universal Classic Monsters have had a profound cinematic and literary impact across all genres, as well as generations of horror and sci-fi fans. Despite seeing various iterations over the decades, actual reboots of these classic series can still be met with skepticism. We feel protective over Classic Monsters, as they were the films we watched with our parents and grandparents. The films that made us scared of bumps in the night. The films that made us love creature features.
The Invisible Man is surely one of the more challenging Monsters to bring back to the big screen while breathing new life into an old story. In his third film as director (although, hardly new to the industry, having written for the Saw and Insidious series), Leigh Whannell delivers one of the most solid and exciting horror reboots to date.
The film begins as Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) gets the courage to leave an abusive relationship with a brilliant and wealthy optical scientist, Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Soon after she goes into hiding, Cecilia feels relief as she learns of Adrian’s reported suicide and starts planning the next steps into her future. This all comes crashing down as she’s haunted by an invisible force that she believes is Adrian, still alive. Her seemingly erratic actions pushes those she loves away as she tries to prove that he is still in her life.
Once The Invisible Man trailer was released, people took to social media to express concern over it showing too much of the film’s plot. Jason Blum countered by saying in an interview, “You may think you’ve seen it all but you haven’t,” and he was absolutely right. Whannell, who also wrote the script, is a master storyteller and weaves unexpected plot twists that you don’t see coming.
The trailer also doesn’t prepare you for Elisabeth Moss’s emotionally raw performance, which is nerve-racking to watch. She is capable of incredible range, and does not hold back as a battered and bruised, yet determined, Cecilia. Aldis Hodge had a stand-out performance as Cecilia’s friend, James, bringing much needed light-hardheartedness, humor, and strength to balance Cecilia’s state of being. In addition to the drama, there is plenty of action and horror to boot. Fans of Whannell’s Upgrade (2018) will recognize that same fast-paced and polished style of fight choreography in this film.
Overall, The Invisible Man is a smart, gripping, and downright scary take on a story many of us know so well. The film proves, yet again, that Leigh Whannell is one of the most exciting filmmakers in the genre today. We can only hope to get more Classic Monster stories as satisfying as this one.
Related Article: Jordan Peele’s ‘Candyman’ Terrifies in First Trailer
