"I don't know how he's done it . . . he has figured out a way to be invisible."
--Cecilia Kass, The Invisible Man (2020)
One of the first R rated horror movies of 2020 is one of the year's best films by far, matching superb execution with great writing and thematic importance. Like last year's Joker, The Invisible Man is a very timely movie--not specifically because it is a story about a woman's experiences with an abusive relationship, but because it delivers such an excellent depiction of abusive relationships in general, a topic of grave significance. The thematic foundation of The Invisible Man does not support an unfinished structure, though. Director Leigh Whannell shows once again that he is a powerful creative force for the horror genre--he is a far better director than actor (as his fake death scene in the first Saw demonstrates)!
Production Values
The Invisible Man's premise provides a canvas for a level of creativity that might surprise some moviegoers, and those behind the film updated the story in a very modern retelling that dabbles in science fiction but mostly operates in the territory of horror. Thankfully, there is only a small handful of jumpscares at most. The atmosphere, the acting, and a clever set of events involving the titular character are used to make the most of the idea behind the movie. Elizabeth Moss gives an excellent performance, conveying the distress, grief, and frustration of a victim of abuse with great talent. The centrality of her performance does not conflict with the other characters, who are also acted very effectively.
Story
Spoilers below (but nothing that isn't spoiled in the trailers)!
After Cecilia Kass leaves her abusive partner and hears of his apparent suicide, she begins having bizarre encounters with an invisible force that seems to be a person--more specifically, Adrian, her former partner. The invisible person's interactions become more and more invasive until Cecilia is deemed insane and dangerous by others and moved to psychiatric confinement.
Intellectual Content
The information gathered by the sense of sight proves nothing more than that one is seeing or not seeing certain perceptions. The plot of The Invisible Man rests heavily on epistemological issues involving the disconnect between everyday sensory perceptions and the reality beyond those perceptions. However, as it skillfully sets up the desperation of Cecilia as an invisible person toys with her, the movie also portrays something that is, in one sense, perhaps more horrifying. Cecilia's relationship with Adrian shows just how damaging the impact of an abusive "loved one" can be. Abusers can isolate and manipulate their victims without ever even using direct physical force, and several scenes communicate this very clearly.
Conclusion
Like the 2019 reboot of Child's Play, the 2020 reboot of The Invisible Man is not merely a pointless remake. It has been updated, tailored to modern audiences in a natural, intelligent way, something that cannot be truthfully said about certain other horror reboots of recent times. Movies like this provide clear examples of how revisiting old storytelling ideas does not have to be a creative dead end, no matter how many moronic cries of "No originality!" continue to persist on the internet. Moreover, they showcase how horror (and skilled filmmaking in general) does not have to be divorced from relevant and important themes in order to produce excellent films.
Content:
1. Violence: There are multiple fights between Cecilia and her invisible stalker, some of which feature blood.
2. Profanity: Variations of "fuck" appear in several scenes.
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