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!

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!

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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!

New Jersey Horror Con & Film Festival will be creeping its way back onto the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk for three terrifying days in March of 2020! Created in 2017 by New Jersey filmmaker and horror fan Ryan Scott Weber along with Comic Book Men's Robert Bruce, New Jersey Horror Con will be bringing it's usual fantastic combination of celebrity guests and independent films to the Showboat Hotel on March 27th, 28th and 29th.



The convention is spread out over the vast space of the Showboat's former casino floor, which makes for a great environment for convention attendees and guests alike.  There's enough space for people to check out the amazing vendors, and to meet their favorite genre celebrities without feeling that sense of overcrowding that plagues so many other conventions.  It also provides space for photo ops with the many cosplayers who regularly attend the show.

As usual, Weber and his hard working staff have put together an interesting list of guests for fans to meet and greet.  Kerri Green ("Goonies", "Summer Rental") will be making a very rare convention appearance at NJ Horror Con.  (Please note Kerri will be appearing on Saturday only!)  Joining Kerri is fellow "Goonies" alum Ke Huy Quan, who is also well known for playing Short Round in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".  The ever popular Danielle Harris ("Halloween 4 & 5", "Urban Legend") is a popular convention guest who will be mixing and mingling with convention attendees for the weekend.

An important note I would like to make is that Ryan always manages to find guests that are not necessarily "regulars" on the convention circuit.  A prime example of this is Charlie Sheen, who appeared at the Fall 2019 edition of NJ Horror Con.  This time around, the aforementioned Kerri Green and Ke Huy Quan, along with Jill Whitlow and Allan Kayser (both from "Night of the Creeps") are a few of the "rarer" guests that THIS horror fan is looking forward to meeting!  BUT WAIT!  Dustin Diamond ("Saved by the Bell") is also appearing at the show.  Dustin, along with all of the other amazing guests lined up for this show, is sure to bring a smile to the face of many a fan.

Speaking of "The Goonies", in keeping with a NJ Horror Con tradition, there will be some cool photo sets inspired by the guests appearing at the show, one of which is a set inspired by One-Eyed Willies ship from the film!  How cool is that?   

There will also be some other great photo ops available at the convention, including a Texas Chainsaw Massacre meat hook set, with guests Andrew Bryniarski and Bob Elmore doing their in-costume photo ops on the set!  These are the types of unique experiences fans can have at NJ Horror Con.

Finally, as a filmmaker, I cannot stress enough the fact that the name of the convention is New Jersey Horror Con and FILM FESTIVAL.  This time around, there's another fantastic batch of independent films being screened at the event, and festival director Tony Goggles works tirelessly to put together these screenings.  Not to mention the always fun filmmaker meet and greet and awards ceremony that will take place on Saturday night.

While you're having fun meeting celebrities and getting autographs, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't take some time to check out some of the films.

Celebrity guests, indie horror films, in-costume/on-set photo ops, Scaryoke.....ALL of it can be found at New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival.  The Horror Nerd is honored to be invited back as press, and you'll see me prowling the convention, taking pics, doing celebrity interviews and just having a great time.  Enjoy the show and be sure to stop me and say hello!

For more information about the convention including the complete guest list, ticket information, hotel, etc. be sure to visit the event website.  NJ Horror Con & Film Festival will be held at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ on March 27th-29th, 2020.