It certainly does seem that there are a lot of remakes, reboots and "re-imaginings" these days, doesn't it? Well, The Horror Nerd is not as militant about these things as some horror fans are. Yes, in many cases a remake is probably unnecessary, but like any other film, a remake will either be good or it won't. Well, I am happy to say that in the case of the 2020 remake of "The Invisible Man", it definitely falls on the good side!
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell and starring Elisabeth Moss ("The Handmaid's Tale") and Oliver Jackson-Cohen ("The Haunting of Hill House"), this version of "The Invisible Man" offers a fresh take on the story originally written by H.G. Wells is 1897 and adapted for the screen several times, most notably in 1933 starring Claude Rains.
Cecilia Kass (Moss) is in an abusive marriage with control freak Adrian Griffin, a world leader in the field of optics. She decides she's had enough, and in a tense, well-paced scene, she flees in the middle of the night. She's still not free though, as she is terrified that Adrian will find her, or hurt the people she loves. Then she receives some news that might finally put her at ease. Her husband is dead by his own hand. Cecilia can now finally get on with her life, without the constant fear of her abusive husband. Or can she?????
Strange things start to happen, and she constantly feels a presence around her. The Horror Nerd doesn't like to give away too many plot details, so all I will say is that while Cecilia believes that her presumed-to-be-dead husband is somehow back in her life to torment her, everyone around her thinks she is having some sort of mental breakdown due to the fact that she simply cannot accept the fact that Adrian can no longer hurt her. How will she prove that her husband is NOT dead, but has found a way to render himself invisible so her can continue control her life? Well, you'll just have to watch!
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell and starring Elisabeth Moss ("The Handmaid's Tale") and Oliver Jackson-Cohen ("The Haunting of Hill House"), this version of "The Invisible Man" offers a fresh take on the story originally written by H.G. Wells is 1897 and adapted for the screen several times, most notably in 1933 starring Claude Rains.
Cecilia Kass (Moss) is in an abusive marriage with control freak Adrian Griffin, a world leader in the field of optics. She decides she's had enough, and in a tense, well-paced scene, she flees in the middle of the night. She's still not free though, as she is terrified that Adrian will find her, or hurt the people she loves. Then she receives some news that might finally put her at ease. Her husband is dead by his own hand. Cecilia can now finally get on with her life, without the constant fear of her abusive husband. Or can she?????
Strange things start to happen, and she constantly feels a presence around her. The Horror Nerd doesn't like to give away too many plot details, so all I will say is that while Cecilia believes that her presumed-to-be-dead husband is somehow back in her life to torment her, everyone around her thinks she is having some sort of mental breakdown due to the fact that she simply cannot accept the fact that Adrian can no longer hurt her. How will she prove that her husband is NOT dead, but has found a way to render himself invisible so her can continue control her life? Well, you'll just have to watch!
So, what did I think of the film? Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As I stated earlier, this is a very fresh take on the original concept. I don't want to give anything away as far as how the antagonist renders himself invisible, so I'll just say that writer Leigh Whannell came up with a very clever way to modernize the concept and to get around some of scientific issues surrounding the idea of someone becoming invisible. (Yes, I realize it's all fantasy, but there was always something that bothered me about someone making themselves invisible. For example, how does one see, given that vision is based on light striking the retina, which is now invisible?)
Anyway.....let's just say that the invisibility part is very cool.
The acting in this film is top notch. Elizabeth Moss gives a great performance as someone who is desperate to convince those around her that she is not crazy, and that someone invisible actually exists. Imagine if you were in that situation? How would you prove that what you were saying is true? Personally, I find the idea of an invisible person completely terrifying. To the world, you'd be perceived as a raving lunatic if you tried to tell everyone that someone they couldn't see was committing acts of violence.
It's hard to give an opinion on Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Adrian Griffin/The Invisible Man because, well, he's invisible for 90% of the film! Yet he manages to be absolutely menacing and terrifying throughout the film. The supporting cast rounds out the film nicely. I especially liked Harriet Dyer as Emily Kass, Cecilia's sister, who desperately wants to love and protect her sibling, but is having a hard time believing her. Michael Dorman as Tom Griffin, Adrian's brother does an excellent job as well. Hell, everyone in this film is good!
Anyway.....let's just say that the invisibility part is very cool.
The acting in this film is top notch. Elizabeth Moss gives a great performance as someone who is desperate to convince those around her that she is not crazy, and that someone invisible actually exists. Imagine if you were in that situation? How would you prove that what you were saying is true? Personally, I find the idea of an invisible person completely terrifying. To the world, you'd be perceived as a raving lunatic if you tried to tell everyone that someone they couldn't see was committing acts of violence.
It's hard to give an opinion on Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Adrian Griffin/The Invisible Man because, well, he's invisible for 90% of the film! Yet he manages to be absolutely menacing and terrifying throughout the film. The supporting cast rounds out the film nicely. I especially liked Harriet Dyer as Emily Kass, Cecilia's sister, who desperately wants to love and protect her sibling, but is having a hard time believing her. Michael Dorman as Tom Griffin, Adrian's brother does an excellent job as well. Hell, everyone in this film is good!
The pacing of the film is great throughout. The first ten minutes of this movie are some of the most tense minutes I've ever spent in a movie theater. The scenes where you KNOW that Adrian is in the room, but you cannot see him, are fantastic as well. Not knowing when or where he will strike just adds to the tension.
Sadly, no film is perfect and I have to say that this otherwise excellent one fell apart a bit during the ending. One one hand, I completely understand why the writer chose to end the film the way it does. However, it just left me feeling a little bit 'empty'. I guess that's the best way for me to put it. Others might feel differently about it, and that's the beauty of film. Like any other art form, it's open to interpretation and I would be interested to hear what other people think about it.
Overall, I really liked this film. For me, it just proves that dismissing all remakes as being bad simply because they are remakes is just silly. "The Invisible Man" is a perfect example of a writer taking an existing, well-worn property and putting a fresh spin on it. You need a good script, stellar acting and adept direction and BAM! You have a great film!
Sadly, no film is perfect and I have to say that this otherwise excellent one fell apart a bit during the ending. One one hand, I completely understand why the writer chose to end the film the way it does. However, it just left me feeling a little bit 'empty'. I guess that's the best way for me to put it. Others might feel differently about it, and that's the beauty of film. Like any other art form, it's open to interpretation and I would be interested to hear what other people think about it.
Overall, I really liked this film. For me, it just proves that dismissing all remakes as being bad simply because they are remakes is just silly. "The Invisible Man" is a perfect example of a writer taking an existing, well-worn property and putting a fresh spin on it. You need a good script, stellar acting and adept direction and BAM! You have a great film!
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