The Invisible Man (2020)

Rating: 4.95/5

A film whose greatness took me by surprise, The Invisible Man is easily one of the better horror/thrillers I've seen in recent history.

Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) attempts to sneak out one night to escape her abusive husband Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), but is unable to leave without him noticing. She manages to get away, but not in the secretive way she had hoped. Her only option is to hide out in a friend's home and lay low until she can plan her next move. To Cecilia's great shock, two weeks after breaking free, she learns Adrian has committed suicide.

At first, Cecilia is filled with relief, knowing that she doesn't ever have to again, worry about Adrian finding her. That reprieve from her fear is very short lived, as Cecelia begins to wonder if Adrian is actually gone. Inexplicable events keep happening to her, and with her husband being the scientific genius he was, there's no doubt in her mind he's figured out a way to stalk and continue tormenting her; but who will believe a woman who claims an invisible presence is following her every move?

Going into The Invisible Man, I didn't have low expectations, but I just didn't have overly high ones. I had only seen one trailer for the movie, and it definitely piqued my interest, but I still didn't know too much about the film. Once I saw the first set of reviews coming in for it, I was honestly surprised to see it receiving such high acclaim, but now that I have seen it, it is incredibly clear as to why. The Invisible Man, though technically a horror film, doesn't rely on gore and gimmicks to get its results. It does have the occasional jump scare to make it frightening, but what really makes it shine is the atmosphere it creates and its performances. Elisabeth Moss, as one would expect, is a phenomenal lead for this film. Though you as the viewer know what's going on, you can fully understand why the other characters in the film doubt her so much. Moss completely sinks into the crazed and terrified role in which she plays, and you can't help but be afraid both for her, and a little of her.

A theme that I have been noticing when it comes to movie scores lately, is the heavy use of the cello, and I have to say I am absolutely all for it. Movies like Us, Joker, and The Invisible Man all seem to have very stripped down musical compositions backing the action on the screen. The use of the cello accents the intensity of the scene, and definitely adds extra anticipation and unease to it as well. In this film, I found myself feeling quite unnerved whenever the score would kick in, because I knew that something frightening was going to begin, and with this film, it was never guaranteed what that was going to be; whether it would be an attack on Cecilia, or something that would add to the gaslighting that had been happening to her. I really love this trend in movie music, and though I don't want to see it copied, I look forward to seeing what other films might take note of this and other like minded scores and take inspiration from it.

There were many things to be impressed with for The Invisible Man, but what I think is the most notable would be its use of special effects. The way they made the presence of an invisible person seem so palpable, was truly remarkable. It seemed uncomfortably realistic. As I write this, one specific scene comes to mind, and it's when you get to see this effect in it's full glory. There's little I can say without spoiling the scene, but I feel like anyone would know it when they see it. I absolutely love how open the shot was, allowing for a full viewing of what was happening, and it made the invisibility effect an absolute home run. I can't think of many other times where I was quite as impressed with a film's effects as I was with this one, especially given the subtly in how The Invisible Man used it.

I am honestly so glad that this film has been made available to be streamed so soon. I saw it in theaters before they all had to shut down, and I really cannot wait to watch it again. Sometimes, a horror movie or a thriller loses its luster upon a second viewing, but I doubt that will be the case for The Invisible Man.