The Invisible Man (2020)

Following Tom Cruise's unfortunate fist chapter of the Dark Universe franchise with The Mummy that saw all plans Universal had scrapped, gone was the planned adaptation with The Invisible Man starring Johnny Depp leaving the floor open for Leigh Whannell's depiction that released in 2020. The franchise idea sounded entertaining on paper but thankfully what we have here is an untethered thriller that's more than capable of standing on its own. 

The film stars Elisabeth Moss as the girlfriend to Oliver Jackson-Cohen's hugely successful entrepreneur with a very dark and unpleasant side to him. One night she manages to escape his abusive control over her which leads to him committing suicide but is she really free of him? 

The 1933 original version saw the invisible man as a scientist who finds a way to disappear which leads to him becoming a vicious killer but Whannell's bold decision to explore a toxic relationship gives the story an added sense of weight to everything that follows. This is far and away from its gothic origins that H. G. Wells established but is no less terrifying as Moss starts to doubt the empty corners of her bedroom. 

And Moss is fantastic in the lead role with much of the film resting on her shoulders as she effectively acts against empty space but this is made all the more tense through Whannell's direction, the visuals and a very chilling use of music that is used appropriately throughout. Just the quiet opening sequence alone that drops the audience in her escape from the house is thrilling and the film is paced perfectly from that point onwards. 

Some have critiqued the third act but I still found myself enjoying it all and it is great to see such a thrilling and inventive recreation of the source material when compared to how mundane The Mummy was reinterpreted. The Invisible Man is very entertaining, boasting a terrific performance from Elisabeth Moss, and is an easy recommendation for me.