THE INVISIBLE MAN Spoiler-Free Review; "The First Must-See Horror Movie Of 2020"

THE INVISIBLE MAN Spoiler-Free Review; "The First Must-See Horror Movie Of 2020"

The "Dark Universe" is no more, so how does The Invisible Man fare as a standalone tale? Well, with an amazing performance from Elizabeth Moss, director Leigh Whannell has struck gold. Here's our verdict!

Review Opinion
By JoshWilding - Feb 29, 2020 10:02 AM EST
Filed Under: Invisible Man
Originally planned as part of Universal's "Dark Universe" of monster movies, The Invisible Man was set to star Johnny Depp in the title role. However, the critical and commercial failure of 2017's The Mummy led to a huge change of plans, and it's now Saw writer Leigh Whannell who has been tasked with rebooting the property. The filmmaker has spent years working in the world of horror - his directorial debut was Insidious: Chapter 3 in 2015 - and that clearly paid off for this thrilling, terrifying new take on the classic property.

Starring Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) as Cecilia Kass, a woman who manages to escape an abusive and controlling boyfriend, this version of The Invisible Man sees her tormented by her vengeful ex, and what follows is a fascinating and impactful look at the ramifications a relationship like that can have. Without getting into specifics, Cecilia is forced to question her own sanity as things start to escalate, and this is a film that never lets up. The tension builds at a steady pace before reaching a climax that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Part thriller, and part horror, this new take is definitely scary, and Whannell (who also penned the screenplay) delivers plenty of great jump scares along the way. 

The film makes sure to take full advantage of its undeniably intriguing premise, with plenty of unique visuals and twisted moments which will definitely stick with you. Benjamin Wallfisch's powerful and foreboding score perfectly compliments what we're seeing on screen, while Whannell has firmly established himself as a filmmaker who is going to continue making a huge impact in future both in this genre, and others. 

Moss' work here is fantastic, and the actress remains one of the most exciting and talented stars in Hollywood today. She takes Cecilia through a wide range of emotions, but ensures she's always a compelling, likeable presence who it's easy to root for. Aldis Hodge is another standout as an old friend of Cecilia's, and Storm Reid and Oliver Jackson-Cohen make a small, but mostly memorable impact. It's Moss' movie, though, and this story wouldn't be the same with anyone else in that lead role. 

While The Invisible Man definitely has franchise potential, it was the right decision to make this film its own thing and not try to shoehorn it into any sort of "shared universe." With a realistic overhaul, but scares you would expect - and hope for - from any great horror movie, it's hard to find fault with this film, and the huge twists and turns will keep you hooked from start to finish. Ultimately, there's much more to this than a lot of other entries into the genre, and its thoughtful examination of a woman facing her worst nightmare after being trapped in an abusive relationship definitely helps it stand out from the crowd.

The first must-see horror movie of 2020, The Invisible Man is destined to be a classic, and Elizabeth Moss' incredible performance proves to be impossible to tear your eyes from. 

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regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 2/29/2020, 10:47 AM
Let’s see if we can get the hat trick for unmissable movies. 🙌🏻
tmp3
tmp3 - 2/29/2020, 11:40 AM
@regularmovieguy - You told me Brahms: The Boy II was the first must see horror movie of 2020 🙄
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 2/29/2020, 10:48 AM
Might see this later tonight...Leigh Whannel is great.
dracula
dracula - 2/29/2020, 11:34 AM
@regularmovieguy - If Sam Raimi doesn't do Doctor Strange 2, they should get Leigh Whannel
tmp3
tmp3 - 2/29/2020, 11:44 AM
@dracula - Raimi's all but confirmed for Strange 2. Bad Robot should get Whannel for JL Dark, or maybe he should do Fantastic Four since he's great with Invisible characters
GhostDog
GhostDog - 2/29/2020, 10:51 AM
It was damn good. So well directed and acted. Script was so so in parts, but this is a must see overall.

Whannel is about to be SHOWERED with offers.


8.5/10
knocturnalzen10
knocturnalzen10 - 3/2/2020, 6:59 AM
@BlackBeltJones - me and you have some similar taste in horror films so i may check this out .
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/2/2020, 7:21 AM
@knocturnalzen10 - it’s a must see man
WakandanQueen
WakandanQueen - 2/29/2020, 10:57 AM
Great job Leigh Whannell. It was very good.
kylo0607
kylo0607 - 2/29/2020, 11:11 AM
This was one of the best horrors I've seen.

Moss was terrific, the film didn't rely on jump scares, but on long, tension-building moments, the cinematography was amazing (camera movements that move in and linger on an empty spot in a room, but you know it isn't empty) and the atmosphere was incredible. The sound design was just awesome, too.

Just wish they cast someone else as Adrian - someone who could convey the genius and coldness of the character better. I felt like whenever he was on screen, that's not who I'd imagine would be the Invisible Man in the actual "invisibility" scenes.

9/10
WeaponXCII
WeaponXCII - 2/29/2020, 11:27 AM
Maybe it’s just me, but is anyone really surprised by the reviews for this one?
tmp3
tmp3 - 2/29/2020, 11:41 AM
@WeaponXCII - Nah. Small budget + great director means that there wasn't gonna be a lot of studio interferance
kylo0607
kylo0607 - 2/29/2020, 11:47 AM
@WeaponXCII - Might be just you. This looked good from the very beginning.
WeaponXCII
WeaponXCII - 2/29/2020, 6:10 PM
@kylo0607 - @tmp3 - I guess it’s just me, then. Don’t get me wrong- I always at least hoped it did well critically (same with almost any movie, but with critics usually not liking horror movies, coupled with Whannell, albeit not directing but being a part of the Saw movies, and what I saw as a lack of marketing, the signs didn’t seem good to me. Again, glad I’m wrong, though.
KWilly
KWilly - 2/29/2020, 11:53 AM
And the Dark Universe lives on...

dracula
dracula - 2/29/2020, 12:07 PM
@KWilly - more like stars over, just like it did with Mummy after Dracula untold failed and after the wolfman failed
KWilly
KWilly - 2/29/2020, 12:34 PM
@GhostofCipher - Very true lol
MUTO123
MUTO123 - 2/29/2020, 1:15 PM
Saw it last night.

SO. [frick]ING. GOOD!
DoubleD
DoubleD - 2/29/2020, 2:00 PM
Invisible Man was great. I agree 5 Stars / 5 :)
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