★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
When we first heard of Leigh Whannell’s intent to remake The Invisible Man (based on the 1897 H.G. Wells novel), we were definitely intrigued. Adapted to the screen for the first time in the 1930s, the original film retelling was a major accomplishment for visual effects that left audiences dazzled. Considering how far we’ve come in film technology since then, this story felt like one that might have difficulty blossoming in the modern horror climate where psychological tension is prioritized over the impossibly terrifying.
Whannell takes liberties with the source material, choosing to focus on Cecilia Kass (Elizabeth Moss) while delegating the usual protagonist and titular character, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), to the villain role. The film begins with Cecilia stealing away in the night from her abusive partner, Adrian. Even after escaping (and discovering Adrian’s subsequent suicide), Cecilia can’t shake his grip over her life. Every dark corner holds his shadow, every creak at night warns of his approach. The title of the film takes on a double meaning as Adrian’s invisible man status is morphed into a metaphor for surviving an abusive relationship. It’s a brilliant take, a la Babadook, that had us glued to the screen in anticipation of what might happen next. Cecilia’s struggle to prove something she can’t see weighs heavy and makes a powerful statement of how trauma can stay with a victim long after the physical threat has passed.
Image via Statesman Journal
Halfway through, the film deviates down a strange path. Subtlety and character building are discarded in favour of action and surprise twists. The psychological tension that flavoured the first half is nowhere to be found as the film sours into a half-baked modern slasher. Not only is Adrian alive and well as he stalks Cecilia while wearing an invisible man suit (so much for this potentially being in her head) but he’s also obtained a god-like invincibility to any weapon thrown his way. While one could argue Adrian’s overpowering nature fits with the metaphor of an abusive relationship, it isn’t enjoyable to watch a one-note villain toss aside people twice his size while seemingly teleporting around prisons and mental institutions. What makes Cecilia’s early story so powerful is the question of how one deals with an antagonist that doesn’t really exist. When it’s proven he does exist and Cecilia can never escape, it’s hard to want much other than for this strained fight to end.
Image via IMDB
Not every horror movie needs grand fight scenes or twists in order to be effective. Had The Invisible Man stuck to its quieter moments, it could have been one to remember. As it stands, this story feels like it could still use another retelling.