The Invisible Man

Remakes and reboots are as plentiful as the number of films that Hollywood produces. Fresh and original films are more difficult to find as rehashed movies become the common norm. This has to be one of the oldest franchises Hollywood has produced starting with "The Invisible Man" 1917, then '33, '58, '75, 2000, with yet another titled "Hollow Man" in 2000 also.

Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Elizabeth Moss) escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister, Emily (Harriet Dyer), and their childhood friend, James Lanier (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter, Sydney (Storm Reid). But when Cecilia's abusive ex, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune contingent on  Cecilia isn't arrested or found mentally unstable, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia's sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. 

Others to round out the cast are Michael Dorman as Tom Griffin, Adrian's brother, Benedict Hardie as Marc, an architect, Renee Lim as Dr. Lee, Brian Meegan as Lyft driver, Nick Kici, as Taylor, a waiter and Sam Smith as Detective Reckley.

This was rivetingly and intensely directed by Leigh Whannell ("Insidious: Chapter 3" '15, "Upgrade" '18). This filmmaker has written many screenplays, but he's relatively new to the director's chair. This film, through his actors, simply keeps you on the edge of your seat. But what makes this different from other horror flicks is that the responses from these characters, especially Cecilia, isn't what you'd expect from this genre, and this is something I'd revel in seeing more. If this style of directing is to your liking, his remake of "Escape from New York" is in pre-production. It was creatively and suspensefully written by Whannell as well ("Saw" '04, "Saw II" '05, "Saw III" '06, "Dead Silence" '07, "Insidious" '10, "Insidious: Chapter 2" '13, "Cooties" '14, "The Mule" '14, "Insidious: Chapter 3" '15, "Insidious: The Last Key" '18, "Upgrade" '18) plus shorts, video shorts, a video game and a video. Writing is where this filmmaker shines, or at least where he is prolific. Apparently he is from Australia and has always liked telling stories--why they all happen to be majorly horror stories? Not sure, but certainly he is consistent. This writer's talent sold me after seeing Clint Eastwood's "The Mule" '14. It was such a complex story where the story could've been convoluted, but this writer pulled it off. Also, it was a genre he's not typically used to delving into. This was an amazing retelling of an old story where it was certainly a horror film, but it was equally an interesting sci-fi film as well. It actually goes into the process that becoming invisible could be done scientifically--of course we all know it's not possible, but Whannell lays out the story where it still makes the audience wonder. Other than a couple of very small things that weren't addressed, this screenplay was delineated meticulously. 

If this franchise is of interest to you, this probably is one of the best renditions of them all. Elizabeth Moss gave a riveting portrayal of a woman on the brink of her jeopardizing  her sanity due to her desperately attempting to convince others that her sociopathic boyfriend is, in fact, alive and somehow has been able to make himself invisible. If you want to see this up, close and personal, it's also presented in an awesome IMAX format. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                           Rated: R                                                  125mins.