CINEMA
THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
MPAA: R.
Release Date: 02/28/20 [Cinemas]
Genre: Drama. Horror. Mystery. SciFi. Thriller.
Studio: Universal Pictures.
"When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see."
OUR REFLECTION:
People tend to hate reboots and remakes, but once in a while we get one that actually does what a reboot/remake is supposed to do: Take the original concept and view it through a modern lens. In this case, Leigh Whannell’s take on The Invisible Man asks if the technology to become invisible is achieved, what kind of person would exploit it and how? Building upon that, what can this exploration say about modern issues?
Stalking, gaslighting, abuse, and crappy boyfriends in general aren’t a new concept, but the pursuit of healthy relationships now that we live in a society women can live independently from a man (at least on paper) has become a more unified discussion and goal. At least, unified enough for more stories like this to be considered marketable by Hollywood tycoons. The themes and ideas of The Invisible Man still don’t say anything new, there are plenty of feminist film and literature saying the exact same thing throughout history, but attaching those things to a genre film, especially a production that really exists just keep digging into the finite well of intellectual property, is at least a breath of fresh air and shows how genre films can have nuance to them like the days of yore.
The strengths of The Invisible Man that probably allowed it to be so creatively free (outside of Leigh Whannell’s filmography preceding it) is how it’s about… well, an invisible fear. With a production budget of seven million dollars, Leigh Whannell was able to keep costs manageable by having the audience look at shots of nothing and still feel uncomfortable due to the context. James Wan, Whannell’s frequent collaborator, is also no stranger to keeping you on the edge of your seat with still shots showing nothing, but the idea that there could be an invisible man, as well as the added layer of Cecilia’s fear due to her past abuse from said man, can really make your heart rate rise as the camera sits on a tripod looking at wide shot for fifteen seconds.
Of course, seven million dollars is no small number, and it’s put to use here extremely well. There’s still bits of CGI and visual effects sprinkled in the second half of the film, I hope Elisabeth Moss got a decent check for her work, and some of its locations and production design couldn’t have been cheap. As I watched the exterior scene set entirely in rain, part of me wondered if it was natural rain or rain machines that managed to stay within budget. That said, the direction of the film uses its Blumhouse money as effectively as it probably could have with this concept.
Beneath the film’s thematic elements, superb cinematography, and grounding performances is a tight and twisty plot that holds it all together, complimented by award-worthy editing. Though the first half of the film contains some annoying “character says what they’re about to do” dialogue that feels extremely rookie, it all keeps a fast and engaging pace that keeps elevating until the climax. Structured like a mystery while still keeping the claustrophobic feeling of a horror, The Invisible Man takes twists and turns that both excite and spark contemplation, leaving the morality of the ending more gray than you would expect from a production of this caliber. Put simply, it’s a film that both entertains and sparks discussion.
Will Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man be able to live up to The Invisible Man the same way? The reviews as of writing this seem to say no, but I’ll still watch it to find out.

OUR VERDICT:
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