by Nicholas Sanderson
Everyone knows the common hypothetical question ‘What superpower would you like to have if you could have any superpower ?’ Whether it’s used as a corporate ice-breaker or agonized over on an elementary schoolyard, one of the most common responses is always invisibility. Leigh Whannel brings this hypothetical to life on the big screen with the recent thriller “The Invisible Man”, in which an invisibility suit is used for pure evil.
While everyone has certainly thought about having the ability to turn invisible, hopefully it will never be used in the way Whannel imagines it in his modern American thriller. In the film, main character Cecilia Kass, played by Elisabeth Moss, manages to escape her abusive husband Adrian Griffin, played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, in a tense opening scene. She stays with a family friend in James Lanier (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter, Sydney Lanier (Storm Reid). Though she is plagued by paranoia and panic attacks, James and Sydney are able to help Cecilia on her path to recovery and keep her safe. Cecilia is able to feel even safer once her sister Emily, played by Harriet Dyer, delivers news that Adrian has died, committing suicide, supposedly out of grief stemming from Cecilia’s escape. However, things begin to go awry as Adrian makes his continued presence in Cecilia’s life known by progressively torturing her and beginning the process of estranging Cecilia from those that she loves in an effort to control her. Eventually, Adrian frames Cecilia for murder and she is institutionalized. Through a series of unexpected twists, a thrilling fight to the death ensues that involves nearly every character in the story to make for an exciting and surprising finale.
“The Invisible Man” tells a compelling story of a very likeable protagonist united with almost every other character against an abuser and master manipulator. The message of the film is very clear: that you need to believe the people that you love, even if what they are telling you is as outlandish as your ex husband being not only alive but also invisible. The movie stresses the importance of trusting relationships, as Cecilia leans on her trusted friends and family in her time of need after she escapes Adrian at the start of the film. Audience members can truly feel her gratitude and immense appreciation for Sydney and James as she gifts James a ladder and offers to pay for part of Sydney’s college education. This scene is truly one of the most heartwarming moments of the film.
Overall, I felt this film was very well done. There were several jump scares that made me flinch, such as the scene shown in the trailer where Cecilia spills paint onto Adrian’s head, revealing him right in front of her. Everything down to the interior design of James and Adrian’s homes contributes to the mood of the film. James’ house is decorated as a typical and warm suburban home, generating feelings of safety and refuge. This is in stark contrast to the open, spacious, and modern feel of Adrian’s mansion, which feels cold and dark, despite being next to the ocean.
Perhaps most compelling about the film, however, is the character study of a truly controlling man in Adrian. Star Elisabeth Moss does a fine job of playing the scared and determined heroine, but I believe it is Oliver Jackson-Cohen’s interpretation of Adrian that really brings this particular movie to life. Jackson-Cohen does a phenomenal job of playing the charismatic mastermind that Adrian is written to be. At its heart, “The Invisible Man” is about Adrian and the ways in which he controls everyone around him. Through his charm and intelligence, Adrian turns his family into pawns, controlling them and making them do his bidding.
This movie is R-Rated due to language and violence. The violence may turn off some older viewers, and certainly no child should see this movie. Ironically, I believe it is the violence that hurts this film in the end. The strength of Adrian’s character is his manipulative tendencies and his abilities as a genius strategist. Once Adrian is revealed as the invisible man at the mental hospital, I find the movie relies too much on his physical dominance over guards while at the same time giving too much of a physical edge to the much smaller Cecilia in order to allow her to keep running. With a little suspension of disbelief though, “The Invisible Man” makes for a compelling thriller and a must-watch movie of the spring. It receives 8 Flames out of 10.
