A film review: The Invisible Man (2020)
This is an entertaining psychological thriller with an interesting plot, but Hitchcock it certainly isn’t. Although the thought of placing the H. G. Wells classic into the hands of the genius of suspense is an intriguing one.
Cecilia, played very well by Elisabeth Moss, is probably best known as the handmaiden in the TV series of Margaret Atwood’s wonderful dystopian tale. A show that Margaret didn’t earn a bean for, having sold the film rights decades ago. As an aside, Margaret has pointed out that sales of The Handmaid’s Tale always increase around election times. Interesting.
Anyway, back to the film. Cecilia is trapped in a controlling and bullying relationship. This is implied by a dramatic first scene in which she flees home, having felt the need to drug her partner, and to then climb walls to escape. In attempting to stop her he punches a hole through Cecilia’s sister’s car window. She goes into hiding, terrified to go out, terrified that she will be discovered. There is relief, however, when she is told that her ex has committed suicide. However, knowing him as she does, she suspects that all may not be as it seems.
This is confirmed when mysterious happenings begin to occur. She goes for a job interview at an architects and, when requested to show some work, she opens her portfolio case to find it empty. She knows, and we know, that she would not have forgotten to put work in there. She wakes in the middle of the night to find the duvet on the floor at the end of the bed. When she tries to pull it back over her it won’t move; seemingly pinned down. Noises in the night, strange texts — the suspense grows.
But, if he is still alive, despite photos and a police report to the contrary, then how is he planting these incidents on her?
Yeah, OK, the title is a bit of a give away. As is the speed in which we find out. A racing storyline is the opposite of suspense, and we don’t need to wait long before the answer bursts onto the scene.
And there lies the disappointment with this film.
If only the film had been given a different title; if only we were fed the clue, early on, that he was a genius in optics; and if only there was a better storyline, then this could have been an intriguing, suspenseful, phycological thriller. Instead, it descends very quickly into just another violent, gunfighting, smashed windows, smashed cars, dark rooms, screaming and shouting thriller.
It is slickly done, and there are twists in the tale, but overall a tad underwhelming.
However, after spouting all that, the finale is clever, and poignant. And it leaves just a little bit of doubt in the viewers mind.
Had everything always been as it seemed?
Just about worth a watch.
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