Wideshot Reviews: The Invisible Man (2020)
For as long as humanity has been putting pen to paper, the concept of the superhuman has always been present.
Review by: Paolo Hibaler
Edited By: Robbie Claravall
Director: Leigh Whannell
Cast: Elizabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer
Genre: Horror
F or as long as humanity has been putting pen to paper, the concept of the superhuman has always been present. At first, they were Gods, then they were superheroes, but there was always one thing that ran consistently among them: they were always forces for good. In 2020s The Invisible Man, writer-director Leigh Whannell takes this concept and plunges it into darkness, deciding instead to see what would happen if the greater-than-life abilities that defined these superhumans were used for darker, more sinister means.
Before even talking about the film, one of the things that has propelled its success so much is in its marketing. A key point to note about the trailer is that it does not reveal enough for the viewer to get a good idea of what the film will be about, or at least what it will be about in its entirety. There are scenes with different outcomes in the trailer than there are in the film, and the trailer mostly focuses on one part of the film, featuring the primary mise-en-scene and some of the scares that it holds. This has massively helped the success of the film, since it means that so many of the scares are kept in the dark, ensuring that the experience of watching the movie is as authentic as possible.
When talking about the scares, this film has many of them, all in different forms, but what the film is best at is building dread — extracting every moment of its potential and making the quiet moments as heart-pounding as possible. This is in part due to the cinematography by Stefan Duscio, whose long, unmoving shots and angles make the viewer feel like they are in the shoes of a stalker. Adding on to the intensity that these shots deliver, there are multiple shots in the film of empty space, blocked so specifically so as to suggest the presence of an invisible entity. For other films, shots that feature empty space may be considered lifeless, stiff, and unwittingly boring when it can be considered that there is life that is just beyond from the camera’s eye. But in the context of this movie, the fact that there may very well be a threat that is invisible to the camera, sitting in whatever empty spot currently being fixated on adds a deeper layer of intensity and fear that reflects the state of the protagonist incredibly well.
With the protagonist, one cannot ignore the acting that was so integral to making this character believable. One of the strongest parts of this film is Elizabeth Moss’ performance. In the role of Cecilia, Moss is able to so delicately handle the aftermath of trauma and utilize it to show the absolute peril that her character is in. From the constant paranoia, anxiety, and dread, to even the smallest things like the heaviness in her eyes, the caution with which she moves her body, and the quiet, fearful manner in which she speaks to others, her performance strikes the viewer as indelible — a true hallmark of horror that should be remembered for its ability to juxtapose fear both in the minute and in the major. In this film, she is not an actress paid to take on the role of Cecilia: she is a damaged wife who is desperately trying to fight against an enemy that is more powerful than she can ever possibly imagine.
Despite the powerful performance, there are still missteps made in the writing department, particularly in the choices made by Cecilia. Although fear is something that can never be taken out of the equation when discussing the actions that a certain character in a horror film may take, some of the choices made are extremely lazy. Why didn’t you record this? Why didn’t you make sure that others would see this important piece of evidence in your favor? Why did you go to this certain place when you knew that your life was in danger? Questions like these are commonplace in a horror film, but the fact that these are happening in a smart horror film makes it difficult to accept.
Because that is what The Invisible Man is. It is smart — not just a film devised to spook the viewer.
It chooses instead to comment on a problem that is far too commonplace in society, manipulation and domestic abuse, by putting us in the shoes of the victim. Because of this, the scares have a different quality to them than most films.
They don’t feel like they’re lightyears away from us because of the otherworldly quality that things like ghosts, demons, and aliens have. The fear sits inches away from our faces of the fact that people like this film’s predator really exist. Even though the way the film handles Cecilia’s decisions is reminiscent of the popcorn horror that this film actively tries to avoid being, the fear that The Invisible Man is able to extract from the most personal of places and events, is what sets it apart from its peers, making it ascend beyond the flaws in its writing.
August 12, 2021
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