In 2017, Universal relaunched its 'Dark Universe' with a snazzy new logo, a slew of casting announcements and the release of the Tom Cruise fronted blockbuster, The Mummy. The latter ended up being a mega misfire with critics and audiences alike and lost the studio upwards of $95 million. As a result, Universal decided to move away from the interconnected Dark Universe concept by 'bringing creative directors with distinctive visions' to their classic monster characters (Variety ,January 2019).
With this new mantra, The Invisible Man found its director - Leigh Whannell. Whannell was hot off of the horror hit, Insidious 3 (2015) and sci-fi thriller, Upgrade (2018) when he was offered this gig and was likely scouted for the terrific action, tension and originality that he brought to that film. Whannell's filmography made him a great fit with Universal and Blumhouse's vision.
Since watching The Invisible Man, it has become clear that Whannell is one of the most exciting creators working in Hollywood today. Instead of retelling the classic tale of a mad, nefarious scientist, Whannell's take is modernised, sophisticated and potent: after the supposed death of her abusive ex partner, Cecilia Kass (Elizabeth Moss) is stalked and tormented by a mysterious, unseeable force.
The Invisible Man is more tense and unsettling than it is scary and startling with Whannell using long, lingering takes of 'empty' spaces to heighten Adrian's visibility and the audience's discomfort. Whannell flexes his skilfulness with a scene in an Asian restaurant that is just as shocking as a 'jump scare', but even more unforeseen and impactful. The audience gasped. He does wield the 'jump scare' a couple of times, but his sparing use makes scenes like the one in the attic genuinely unexpected and alarming.
Whannell's script and direction works on multiple levels. His film can be enjoyed at surface-level as a creepy yet subtle genre film packed with twists and turns but, like the masterful horror auteurs of today (Jordan Peele, Ari Aster), if it is viewed from a deeper, analytical lens it can also be regarded as a profound look at abusive relationships and domestic violence. The Invisible Man begins with Cecilia's escape. This suspenseful sequence uses dark lighting, minimal dialogue, eery silence and a sleeping Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) to quickly introduce this violent relationship. It was a bold (and intentional) choice for Whannell to not show the couple interacting prior to Cecilia's escape, but without being explicitly told anything about their relationship, the viewer knows to root for Cecilia and fear Adrian.
Cecilia experiences a brief moment of restoration and equilibrium before a 'posthumous', invisible Adrian returns to agonise her. Adrian begins by teasing Cecilia with a few minor acts such as flickering the lights and removing her quilt but, as his presence becomes more aggressive and intense (trapping Cecilia in the attic and framing her for violent behaviour), the crazier Cecilia seems and the more isolated she becomes. This is where Whannell's film really succeeds: its narrative personifies the vulgar relationship that Cecilia has just gotten out of. Without being visibly present, Adrian still has the ability to manipulate Cecilia's peers into thinking that she is insane and unstable and the power to make Cecilia feel alone. She gradually loses career prospects, her friends, her home, her family and seemingly, her sanity.
Domestic violence often goes unseen, unnoticed and, sometimes, overlooked, and The Invisible Man's social commentary on, and parallels towards, this matter are efficacious. Not only is this film literally about an invisible abuser, the viewer never sees Adrian abuse Cecilia...but we whole-heartedly believe her.
30 years into her acting career and Elizabeth Moss has another star-turn. She is fantastic. As proven in The Handmaid's Tale, she most certainly knows how to play a marginalised character who fights to reclaim their power, and with both her line delivery and facial expressions in The Invisible Man, Moss brings nuance, emotion and empathy to her role. This made it truly horrific and heartbreaking to watch her character's uncontrollable downfall (but I was with her all of the way) and it made it all-the-more triumphant when she fights back. My favourite moment from Moss came in the film's final few moments. There's no dialogue, just a close-up tracking shot of Cecilia leaving Adrian's house for the last time, and we watch Cecilia breathe and let go. I felt the liberation.
Moss is supported by a strong cast. Aldis Hodge (James), Storm Reid (Sydney) and Harriet Dyer (Emily) all impress in their respective roles, and although Oliver Jackson-Cohen does not have much to say or do as the titular role, his performance still conveys exactly what Whannell needs in order to realise the character through other means.
Starting out alongside James Wan in 2004 with Saw (look out for a Jigsaw reference), Whannell's career has not had the same trajectory. While Wan went on to direct The Conjuring and then Furious 7, Whannell's films have not seen the same success. It could be said that Whannell was invisible. Well, look at him now. The masterful Leigh Whannell has outdone himself, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.