The Invisible Man (2020) Review
The Invisible Man is Universal's first classic monster remake since the failed attempt at creating their Dark Universe with 2017's The Mummy. That film was a massive disappointment and the Dark Universe was scraped after one film. I was always excited about the idea of Universal remaking their classic monster films, though I agree The Mummy (2017) was not the way to go at all. The Invisible Man, however is exactly what I want from the classic monster movie remakes.
The Invisible Man focuses on Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss), who escapes the clutches of her abusive boyfriend, Adrian, and then learns of his suicide. She soon begins to see signs that indicate a man is watching her, an invisible man. She believes this man to be Adrian and fights tooth and nail to try to prove that she is not crazy.
I have never seen the original, but I really want to now. The only "reimagining" of The Invisible Man that I've seen is Hollow Man (2000), which is a fun movie, but is definitely not as scary or intense as this new take on the monster.
This movie is fantastic. Not only is it scary and intense but it is written and shot beautifully as well. It is written and directed by Leigh Whannell, who also wrote and directed Upgrade and was a co-writer on Saw and Insidious. His style is prevalent in The Invisible Man, as the fights with the invisible man are visually stunning. Some of the fights are even shot in a single take. The way it is all portrayed is intense beyond belief. There were times I was writhing in my seat and covering my mouth because of what I was watching. The movie holds the tension and suspense absolutely perfectly.
The story of this movie sucked me in and didn't let go until the very end. There were several shocking twists and turns and there were moments that literally had me thinking, "What the hell is she going to do now?" The Invisible Man also spoke to me because it taps into many fears that we all have. Beyond the fears of someone following you who you can't see, there are things like, being accused of horrible things you didn't do and losing people close to you because of misunderstandings. These fears are so stressful and I felt so strongly for Cecilia when things happened to her. At times, I even felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach thinking about if this were to happen to me. I think this is partially due to Elizabeth Moss's outstanding performance in this film. The film is also socially relevant and tackles issues of domestic abuse and other related subjects.
This film is mainstream horror at it's best. It is fun, intense, unpredictable and is one I look forward to watching again soon. The Invisible Man is my favorite film of the year so far (at the end of February). With Halloween Kills, Candyman and Spiral still to come this year, hopefully 2020 can keep the great horror films coming. A