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Movie review: ‘The Invisible Man’ has unseeable monster but visible problems with the execution

(Courtesy of Universal Pictures)

"The Invisible Man"

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Universal Pictures

Feb. 28

By Mark McGreal

Feb. 28, 2020 1:05 a.m.

“The Invisible Man” and its eponymous character share one similarity – they are both difficult to watch.

Inspired by the classic Universal Pictures monster, the 2020 film, written and directed by Leigh Whannell, follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), a young woman who flees an abusive relationship with renowned optical scientist Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Weeks after her daring escape, Cecilia learns that Adrian has died in an apparent suicide. But not long after, strange events cause Cecilia to believe that Adrian is alive, well and invisible. The film boasts a strong cast and a new approach to the monster movie genre, but “The Invisible Man” lacks sufficient character development and suffers from an identity crisis.

While the film is a mixed bag, ithee opening scene is one of its few major highlights. It opens on a lavish home on top of a large cliff and what, at first, appears to be a normal, loving couple sleeping soundly next to one another. However, the longer the scene draws on, the more dysfunctional the relationship looks. Each new on-screen element – such as a drugged cup of water and numerous security measures – add to the unease, setting the tone for an incredibly dark film.

[Related: Film follows life of Shirley Jackson, explores characters in extreme moments]

The subtle nuances in Moss’ performance add to the somber tone of the film. Since her character needed to be quiet in order to sneak out, Moss could only use her facial expressions and body language in order to convey her character’s emotions. She does so masterfully and relays much of what the audience needs to know through panicked eye movements and trembling limbs.

Moss’ performance stays strong throughout the film as she pulls off the much-needed paranoia common in victims of abuse. Moss’ acting blows the rest of the cast away, and her lead role is well-deserved. Though the movie is titled “The Invisible Man,” the camera stays with the protagonist and the psychological torment caused by the namesake character rather than the character himself.

By putting Moss in the lead role, the film utilizes a previously unexplored amendment to the classic “Invisible Man” formula. Instead of focusing on the mad scientist, the new rendition focuses on his victim. This heightens the tension of the film because it’s impossible to tell where Adrian is while Cecilia finds herself increasingly trapped.

While Moss turned in a great performance, her character did leave something to be desired. The film’s events occur in a period of approximately one month, giving little time for background information and character motivation to be revealed. In terms of her past, only two things about Cecilia are clear: what she studied in college and when she met Adrian.

The film doesn’t even attempt to reveal her character through her past. It uses no flashback sequences and only employs vague references to her personal history, severely limiting the emotional connection the audience can feel with Cecilia. Her character is only really shown in the context of her abusive relationship, leaving her to appear somewhat one-dimensional at times.

There is also little shown of Adrian and Cecilia’s relationship, generating a pretty large plot hole in a story that’s supposed to center around them. The two are shown on screen at the same time only twice, once in the first scene when Cecilia runs away and later on when the two have a face-to-face confrontation. With such limited shared screen time, Moss and Jackson-Cohen are not given the chance to demonstrate any possible chemistry, and their interaction at the film’s climax feels forced and undeserved.

[Related: Movie review: ‘The Assistant’ fails to craft nuanced picture of misogyny in entertainment industry]

These are minor issues in the grand scheme of the film. The most glaring problem is the film’s evident identity crisis. “The Invisible Man” starts out as a classic horror film – complete with an unknown monster and jump scares – before transitioning into a psychological thriller that drives the protagonist to a psychotic break.

However, the film’s final few scenes are more in line with what is expected of generic action scenes. The heroes triumph over the villains, and Cecilia even has to race against time to save an innocent bystander. The film’s indecisiveness over what genre it wants to fall in makes it feel as if Whannell tried to shove as many familiar tropes into the movie as possible.

Despite its flaws, the film manages to effectively push a socially conscious theme. Whannell handles an abusive relationship with tact and stops the film’s message from becoming preachy. The physical consequences of Cecilia’s suffering are never shown, but they are touched upon several times, weaving an extra layer of complexity to the film. By addressing these contemporary social issues, “The Invisible Man” provides a fresh new take on an old character and genre.

 

But while the man is invisible, the issues in the film are not, and someone should’ve noticed them before the movie hit theaters.

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Mark McGreal
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