The Invisible Man
Oh my gosh the HYPE surrounding The Invisible Man was so intense. You should be well aware that I don’t usually review any type of scary movie. But I was assured by several people that this was a movie I could handle. I made sure I had an entire bag of popcorn at my disposal so that I could stress eat. If you watch this, I highly recommend stocking up on snacks.
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man is the story of Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) and Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). The opening scene of the movie involves Cecilia making her get away. Even without any knowledge of what is happening or who the characters are, the first few minutes are intense. I held my breath every time Cecilia inadvertently made a sound.
Later on in the movie, it’s revealed that Adrian has committed suicide. At that point, strange things start to happen to Cecilia. Items mysteriously go missing, blankets are pulled off of beds in the dead of night, and burners on the stove are turned up to beyond boiling point. The actions only escalate from there eventually leading to physical violence. Of course no one believes what Cecilia is sure to be true: Adrian did not kill himself and has in fact found a way to make himself invisible. Poor Cecilia. Adrian sabotages most of the other relationships in her life and begins to take away things and people that she loves one by one.
The Invisible Man has several things going for it. Mainly it has Elisabeth Moss. She has proven time and time again that she is a powerhouse actor, despite the fact that she flies under the radar. Moss plays Cecilia perfectly, displaying the sheer terror that grips anyone who has dealt with domestic violence. Moss also nails the “crazy-person” bit. Cecilia has a strong support system but even her closest friends and family don’t buy the “He’s invisible!” theory.
The other great thing about The Invisible Man is a combination of directing and camera-work. You’ll get a sense of the amazing camera-work in the opening scene. Long shots of hallways build tension as we hope that Cecilia (whose name and story we don’t even know yet) doesn’t get discovered. In scenes where the invisible man is “present,” the camera deftly navigates the action and agitation builds as it showcases the unknown factor in every scene. There are even times where the camera zooms in on a blank wall while actors are having conversations, reminding the viewer that someone is always watching even if we can’t see them.
In short, The Invisible Man lived up to the hype. I was an anxious ball of nerves by the end. Following one scene in a restaurant, I sat with my hands over my mouth for a full five minutes in shock, awe, and disbelief. Basically you need to go watch this one for yourself. Meanwhile I’ll be watching all things Elisabeth Moss in tribute to this great performance.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like suspense thrillers
2. You stan Elisabeth Moss
3. You want to sit on the edge of your seat for 124 minutes
