The Invisible Man (2020)
Director: Leigh Whannell
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Storm Reid, Aldis HodgeRuntime: 124 minutes
Synopsis: When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
Performances: 7/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Editing: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Editing: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Verdict: Following the disaster that was the remake of "The Mummy", I was skeptical as to whether I was ready for yet another adaptation of another member of the Universal Monsters gallery. The Invisible Man is a landmark of the horror genre, and I honestly can't see his story being adapted in the 21st century.
Even though I didn't love "Upgrade", I was still relieved to see Leigh Whannell taking charge of this project because if there's one thing he proved in that movie, it's the fact that he knows how to work with a small budget. Forget about Tom Cruise falling off an helicopter and jumping from building to building, "The Invisible Man" is more worried about building an anxious and dreading atmosphere that will get under your skin, and I'd say that with the help of a clever twist on the story and a terrific performance by the always great Elisabeth Moss, it mostly succeeded in doing so. Whannell proved once more that he's a good director that knows how to work with a budget, and I'll definitely keep an eye on every project with his name attached to it. However, it's his writing skills that need some sharpening because while the story did benefit from a smart concept, it was riddled with lazy conveniences, questionable character decisions, and endless plotholes that really, really took me out of the film's universe. It was extremely difficult for me to take anything that was going on seriously despite the tone suggesting otherwise, and at many points during the unusual 2 hour long runtime of the film, I found myself rolling my eyes in exasperation.
There are definitely elements to appreciate about the newest remake of a legendary Universal character, but I was far from being blown away by it. I left the theater with more unanswered questions (and not in the intentionally ambiguous way) than thrills, which obviously never is a good sign when it comes to thrillers.
Even though I didn't love "Upgrade", I was still relieved to see Leigh Whannell taking charge of this project because if there's one thing he proved in that movie, it's the fact that he knows how to work with a small budget. Forget about Tom Cruise falling off an helicopter and jumping from building to building, "The Invisible Man" is more worried about building an anxious and dreading atmosphere that will get under your skin, and I'd say that with the help of a clever twist on the story and a terrific performance by the always great Elisabeth Moss, it mostly succeeded in doing so. Whannell proved once more that he's a good director that knows how to work with a budget, and I'll definitely keep an eye on every project with his name attached to it. However, it's his writing skills that need some sharpening because while the story did benefit from a smart concept, it was riddled with lazy conveniences, questionable character decisions, and endless plotholes that really, really took me out of the film's universe. It was extremely difficult for me to take anything that was going on seriously despite the tone suggesting otherwise, and at many points during the unusual 2 hour long runtime of the film, I found myself rolling my eyes in exasperation.
There are definitely elements to appreciate about the newest remake of a legendary Universal character, but I was far from being blown away by it. I left the theater with more unanswered questions (and not in the intentionally ambiguous way) than thrills, which obviously never is a good sign when it comes to thrillers.
FINAL GRADE: 5/10
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