Note: This is a spoiler-free The Invisible Man movie review
What you can’t see through to the end can hurt you.
The Invisible Man is a valient attempt at a sci-fi horror movie that thrills at every turn. The missing story takes away from being the movie it could be.
Wishing For More Invisible Plotholes
The most glaring thing about The Invisible Man is the number of storylines opened but never closed by the time the movie ends.
This is a difficult one to discuss without providing any spoilers, but off the top of mind, there are at least four things started but never finished. Two of those are rather large plotlines that give the audience something to be desired. Overall it’s a frustrating experience that leaves you thinking about the movie after watching, and not in a good way.
The larger issue with the lack of story is magnified through the way the Invisible Man becomes invisible. The audience is led to believe that it’s done in a realistic way, and scientifically it does seem plausible. The issue with that is your major storyline is realistic enough, so my belief isn’t totally suspended.
If you’re asking me to totally suspend belief, plotholes aren’t a big deal. If you’re presenting your biggest plotline as plausible, plotholes elsewhere are annoying. This movie falls in the latter category.
Thrills And Chills Galore
It’s clear the writers are catering to the jumps more than the story in The Invisible Man, which is perfectly fine as long as that’s what you’re looking for. This suspense thriller specializes in suspense and thrills, and there’s no doubt about that.
You saw this trailer already because it’s right up there at the top of this movie review. The part where Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) throws paint on her ex and reveals him? There are all sorts of those tricks in the movie. During the in-between scenes, you’re waiting for the next scene when you’ll jump out of your seat. Every single scene is shot in a slow, meticulous way combined with a score that will make you wonder when the next shoe will drop. None of this is a bad thing.
The trailer implies The Invisible Man will be a mystery/sci-fi/thriller, and the movie delivers. It’s chilling at its core, and makes no apologies for scaring the jebbus out of you.
The movie also twists and turns more than a few times, which keeps you on the edge of your seat in addition to the anticipation. It’s a good complement to the pop-out horror approach and makes sure you never quite feel safe or comfortable.
Also adding to the thrills is how blunt the show of violence is throughout. There is no shortage of slicing, stabbing, and short-range shooting. All that adds up to plenty of blood, gore, and squirm to get the full reaction from the audience.
Throw suspense, twist, and carnage together, mix them up, and you’ve got yourself a pretty satisfying experience for a horror fan.
Moss Anything But Veiled
As far as the acting is concerned, there isn’t too much to mention beyond the performance from Elizabeth Moss. She appears in every scene of The Invisible Man, and once again proves she can command a screen. There are also multiple scenes where she is alone and fighting air when you think about it, which can’t be an easy task.
Moss puts on a performance that displays what the audience is feeling on screen — part scared, part vengeful, and part feeling like she’s going a little crazy. In a word, encapsulating.
Outside of her Aldis Hodge plays an important role as officer James Lanier, the man who takes in Cecilia after she leaves her husband. He offers part lighthearted relief, which feels forced at times, part protection for Cecilia and his daughter. Overall he’s the only noteworthy character in a series of minor players. This is Cecilia’s story and Moss’s movie to carry.
Should I See The Invisible Man?
Everything written above is to say there are two distinct ways to approach this movie. First, you can try and dissect the science and the story and attempt to make sense of everything. You’ll likely leave disappointed with that approach.
Or, you can enter the theater ready to squirm and jump and get goosebumps and nothing else. That’s where the value lives for The Invisible Man. In other words, it’s a weekend popcorn movie with someone you want to be scared with.
Is it worth seeing the theater? Probably not. But if this is your kind of movie genre, it provides what you’re looking for without a doubt.
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(Featured Image courtesy of EPK)
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