The Invisible Man (2020)

'The Invisible Man' is to be the start of a string of modern takes on the classic Universal Monsters of the 30's & 40's. Earlier attempts were made of course in what is now known as the 'Dark Universe' but were financial & critical failures that were attempting to cash in on the current Marvel trend of a shared universe. Thankfully we have what seems to be a much more optimistic path, telling individual horror stories with the help of Blumhouse.

'Invisible Man' is also notable for how it handles its horror by taking the spine of the H.G. Wells novel and classic James Whale film but introducing a more modern horror that is easier to identify with in 2020. The film discusses many uncomfortable subjects about gas-lighting, abuse, paranoia, and guilt and uses the idea of an invisible enemy to symbolize how our society ignores those who experience these horrible things themselves. But don't get me wrong, the subject matter is not preachy or talking down to you like how the 2019 'Black Christmas' film did. It's all up there for interpretation for the most part and even without those themes the film still gives the average viewer plenty of tension and scares.

I also have to give a special note to the cinematography, which is set up to give the audience the thought that the titular invisible man could be in every scene building the tension up so well. I also love the accompyning musical score, although it delves a bit into that electronic sound that I'm not the fondest of, it still does it job well and is one of the best horror scores in recent years.


That being said, even great movies are never flawless. Plenty of plot holes and logic is thrown out the window if you think too hard about it. While I won't reveal how the character becomes invisible as it spoils a lot of the story and I also don't want to spoil any of the scares a lot of how it works is confusing or illogical even in the fictional sense. Mainly, he never seems to make any kind of noise while invisible and somehow he gets to places he shouldn't be able to. I think what most people will likely feel divided on with 'The Invisible Man' is that in our modern day, politics and social issues are so prevelant now through social media and the news that it will turn off those who just wish for a bit of escapism that the original film provided. It's also a bit too long at times, running at almost 2 and a half hours which is pushing it for a horror film though this one doesn't run out of steam as quickly as others.

Overall, 'The Invisible Man' is a great movie that uses its themes to tell a tense and thoughtful take on the classic novel and is worth a shot if you're looking for something to watch at home this weekend. Plenty of talent, strong photography, atmospheric music, and a lot of horror make up for the length and nitpicks.

9.5/10 

'The Invisible Man' is now available on Blu-Ray, DvD, & VOD