Horror movies are aplenty nowadays; we are almost encircled by terrifying movie options, and while many are entertaining to watch, this thriller has a lot up its sleeve...
You're not alone... / Picture Credit: Blumhouse Productions
The Invisible Man (2020) is a rather recent thriller, but one that definitely deserves a second look.
The film follows Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss), a woman stuck in an abusive relationship who simply wants out; in the dead of night, she sneaks out of the home she shares with her lover and heads for the road, where she manages to escape Adrian’s (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) clutches.
After her escape, Cecilia is told that Adrian has killed himself, and waves of both relief and sadness wash over her as she comes to terms with the loss of someone she loved, but also someone she despised.
Cecilia now believes she can move on with her life, but something is watching her, breathing just behind her, and making her believe that her living nightmare isn’t over just yet...
The Invisible Man is a very clever movie in the sense that it knows exactly what it is, and how to evoke the correct emotions out of its audience; namely, fear.
Tension is a powerful ally to both horror and thriller films, and The Invisible Man knows how to use this to its advantage. Small, simple movements can change a scene from slightly tense, to downright haunting, and that is what this feature does so well.
Cecilia is struggling to come to terms with not only Adrian’s death, but with the fact that he isn’t really gone. She believes that he is still stalking her, tormenting her somehow and, of course, no one believes her.
The strong belief that Cecilia holds is incredible, as her character’s determination in not only the truth, but in sticking to her story creates an almost constantly uneasy atmosphere which translates to viewers who will also feel as she does: scared.
Horror movies have the ability to make the everyday scary, and that is exactly what The Invisible Man does. Standing outside your house at night, exploring the attic; these things shouldn’t really make us afraid, but films such as this one gives us these irrational fears.
The plot of The Invisible Man is a clever one, as throughout the movie you may have one idea of what is going on, you may be correct or you may not be, but that is the joy of this film; the events within make you question what is, and what could be happening.
These are the ingredients to a great horror or thriller movie; to keep the audience guessing and, even if they have reached a conclusion, they may question themselves and constantly reanalyse their decision.
At the root of the feature, however, is a very real theme of domestic abuse, and The Invisible Man does well to highlight that victims of this should be believed, no matter how outlandish their claims may seem.
The villain of this film, whoever or whatever this presence is, slowly takes everything from Cecilia. Her family, friends, and even her own mind and freedom; these events are diminishing her, and she feels almost powerless to stop it: almost.
There are some very, very clever scenes within this film, for example the scene in which Cecilia is standing outside the house she is staying in with friends after thinking she heard a noise; as she stands in the cold, we see her breath in the chill of the air.
However, her breath isn’t the only thing we see; inches behind her, someone else is breathing. Someone else is with her, as we can see their warm breath escape their body.
This genuinely sends a chill down your spine, as only you aware of the other presence, while the main character is not; this gives the viewer a sense of importance, as they know something Cecilia doesn’t, creating a sense of almost panic as she wonders back into the house.
The narrative may seem to be going one way, but the longer it goes on, the more is revealed about what really happened to Adrian, and Cecilia’s ploy to figure out what happened to her abuser is something that deeply disturbs her...
The Invisible Man is a smart thriller that knows how to keep those watching gripped. Tension, fear and disbelief all work together in this film to create a haunting, terrifying atmosphere that doesn’t let up for a single second; this is brilliant horror to watch with the lights off.
Watch the trailer for The Invisible Man below:
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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Tagged in Elisabeth Moss