Catching up with... The Invisible Man (2020)

If there's an upside to this pandemic, it's studios are finally seeing the reality of modern-movie viewing, and are releasing films to the home market faster. Sure, they maintain there's more money to be made in a theatrical release, but I for one prefer my film de cinema to be consumed at home.

So I was stoked to finally catch up with Leigh Whannell's update on H.G. Well's classic, The Invisible Man. I'm a big fan of Whannell's work, and heard good things on this one. For the most part, I was not disappointed.

The core of this movie is Elisabeth Moss's performance as the abused girlfriend of a crazed -- but brilliant -- scientist. He's so brilliant he's created a means to fake his own death and turn invisible, which is all the better to stalk and terrify her.

Moss is so good, and her plight so psychologically terrifying, that it propels the movie forward. This happens to women all the time, and Whannell has found a way to explore abuse and its long-ranging impact in a sci-fi/horror setting. This is what the best genre material does -- it shows us the sad realities people face on a daily basis.

And Whannell has done so brilliantly, as the The Invisible Man is a masterclass in cinematography and editing. The film looks great! My one complaint is, at just over two hours, it's a little long. Had about 20 minutes been cut, this would have been an even more tightly wound thriller.

Still, there's lots to enjoy here: Moss's performance, the filmmaking, and some exciting set pieces. I see why this one blew up in cinemas, I'm glad I saw it, and I will catch up with it again. It's a Good.

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