Blu Ray Review the Invisible Man Box Set Universal

A Mod Twist on a Monster Movie Classic Results in a Smart, Suspenseful Thriller

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY LEIGH WHANNELL / 2020

By at present there have been many mail-mortems written on Universal's "Dark Universe." That was supposed to exist their attempt at a shared cinematic universe, ala Marvel's Avengers franchise, albeit one headlined by their archetype movie monsters. The Wolfman (2010), Dracula Untold (2014), and The Mummy (2017) were each heralded as the kicking-off for a string of inter-continued monster flicks, just they were all box-office duds, and it became pretty articulate that no one but Universal'southward executives were interested in the idea (though bluntly, a Bill Condon-helmed Bride of Frankenstein featuring Javier Bardem as Frankenstein's monster did sound intriguing). So when The Mummy bombed, Universal placed its dreams of a shared movie continuity on more than-or-less permanent hold.

An intense and suspenseful thriller that contains quite a few shocks and surprising twists

Enter Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions. Known for their line of cheaply made (that'south not meant to be a pejorative) horror films, Blumhouse partnered up with Universal in 2014, with Universal distributing installments of Blumhouse'due south highly successful Purge and Insidious series, as well as critical hits similar Separate, Get Out, and the Halloween reboot. With Universal pivoting their "Dark Universe" to more than stand-alone, creator-driven movies, Blumhouse stepped in to produce. The first of these efforts is Leigh Whannel's The Invisible Human being. And if this pic is whatever indication of the quality of these films going forward, we can safely look forward to films that, while they won't entirely eclipse the originals, will stand on their own every bit a new line of classic monster movies.

Whannell is a writer/manager from Commonwealth of australia who got his big break working with James Wan on the first Saw movie. The two paired upwards again with Insidious. Whannell directed the tertiary installment of the Insidious series. He would go on to write and direct 2018'south critically-acclaimed Upgrade. When Universal dropped its plans for the "Dark Universe," Blumhouse brought Whannell in on The Invisible Human and he pitched his own take on the material. Whannel thought to tell the story not from the perspective of the mad see-through scientist, but from that of his victim. Universal and Blumhouse liked his ideas and gave him the green calorie-free.

And and then we have 2020's The Invisible Man. Elisabeth Moss, so skillful in such diverse roles as Peggy from Mad Men or Brook Something in terminal year's Her Aroma, continues to show what a curiosity of an actor she is. She plays Cecilia Kass who escapes a relationship with abusive, controlling scientist Adrian Griffin at the beginning of the movie. Griffin, an skilful in the field of optics, we are told, is so distraught by her leaving that he plainly kills himself and leaves her five million dollars in his volition. All'due south well and good for Cecilia then, as she finally starts to heal the mental trauma Griffin inflicted on her over their time together. Even so, she soon starts to go the feeling that Griffin may not be gone after all. She senses his presence even when she'south the merely ane in the room. When objects begin moving on their own accordance, she becomes convinced that Griffin is invisible and stalking her.

Of course, trying to convince your friends and family unit that your dead ex is still somehow live and invisible is a tricky prospect. Spoiler: he is and he is. And as Griffin'southward torments increase their intensity, Cecilia starts to get cutting off from everyone close to her, and her sanity and stability is increasingly questioned.

All of this makes for an intense and suspenseful thriller that contains quite a few shocks and surprising twists. Whannell's reframing of H.G. Well's story means the movie has no time for Griffin'south sob story. In the original telling, Griffin is a brilliant scientist who is unfortunately driven mad past his experiments and succumbs to the allure of power his invisibility grants him. Hither, Griffin has e'er been a horror, invisible or not. His invisibility grants him an anonymity that allows him to become further than he would have without information technology (much like how people human activity on social media!), only he was never a good human being.

Moss, as the film's anchor, is absolutely brilliant as she takes us through Cecilia's growing paranoia and hurting every bit Griffin'south attacks on her become more and more dangerous. No ane, not even her closest friends, volition believe her when she tells them what has been happening. They're all convinced that Cecilia is losing her grip on sanity. When Griffin begins attacking the people Cecilia is shut to, she'southward been adequately ready to take the blame.

The flick's invisibility effects are fine, but mostly also the point. Whannell is able to take a shot of a room'south empty corner and fill up it with dread equally we imagine who might be lurking in that location.  He pans away from Moss at i bespeak and points the camera down an empty, dark hallway. There'southward nothing to be seen in that shot, but it's a very meaning nothing. Who needs digital effects and fancy wireworks when the director can make the audience share the main character'southward paranoia?

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Source: https://www.zekefilm.org/2020/02/26/the-invisible-man-film-review/