From minute one The Invisible Man starts building tension and never fully lets up until the finale. An anxiety inducing ride that feels relevant in the age of #metoo without feeling one note. The film likes to dwell on seemingly empty shots from the protagonist Cecilia’s perspective, letting the audience’s own imagination’s work against them and helping to deepen our connection to the character. The film functions as a slasher flick with an unidentifiable murderer causing havoc that our main character must deal with.
But it’s also a film about self-struggle, Cecilia is clearly very damaged by her relationship with her abusive partner Adrian who she now suspects is stalking her after faking his death. The film is as much about her taking control of herself and her life as it is about the killer.
Moss gives a fantastic performance as Cecilia, helped amply by subtle direction from Leigh Whannell that smartly keeps things clinical and precise, avoiding any unnecessary flourishes that would only distract. The writing isn’t going to win any awards, but it serves its function for the most part, though like most of these films the scenes meant to build rapport with characters feel forced.
The film’s no masterpiece, there’s some truly silly moments that are just a result of the effects. Seeing things float in midair can look goofy just as easily as it can be scary. Likewise, there are some obvious plot holes and the type of cheesy ending you might expect. But despite these gripes, the meat and potatoes of the thing are more than enough to satisfy.
8/10 Delightfully Stressful