By: Jade Bastian, World News Editor
Spinning out of January where very few movies were able to catch audience’s attention is the film, “The Invisible Man.”
The film was directed by Leigh Whannell and starred Storm Reid, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, and Elizabeth Moss. It is part of the shared universe of movies called the “Dark Universe,” which was launched with “The Mummy” remake in 2017.
The movie follows a troubled woman Cecilia Kass, portrayed by Moss, who is stuck in the middle of a violent and abusive relationship with her boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Jackson-Cohen). Griffin, who is an optics scientist by profession, has an in-house lab that he uses to experiment and carry out different procedures. The protagonist makes her escape from her abuser, which he seemingly takes poorly and commits suicide. In the weeks after the suicide, Kass finds herself tormented by indescribable force.
“The Invisible Man” is different from other thrillers as it does not rely on standard jump scares. It utilizes creative camera angles and storytelling through creative cinematography. What evolves from the camera tricks used is a masterpiece for the horror and science fiction genre. Tying in the creative camera angles, audiences are treated to a breathtaking roller coaster for the hour and 20 minutes run time. The script is very good as the dialog is believable and allows viewers to become even more immersed in the story.
The cast gives the movie the ethos that it deserves as Moss’ acting is very compelling, given the fact that she stares at a blank spot for significant portions of the movie. Kass’ character is daunting and familiar, as audiences have seen a bit of her prowess in Jordan Peele’s thriller, “Us.” Comparatively, Kass is driven through a range of emotions as she toggles from tortured to liberated and back to tortured again.
Moss is supported by a cast that helps to deliver every detail of the movie. Aldis Hodge’s (from “Straight Outta Compton”) character is electric on screen along with his daughter, Sydney, portrayed by Storm Reid (from “A Wrinkle in Time”) who supports Kass in her time of need.
The reception of the film has garnered mixed reviews as critics still try to wrap their minds around the shared universe Universal Studios attempted to create. Looking at the seven-million-dollar budget compared to the 57 million dollars in return brought from the box office up until the March 6 weekend, it is safe to say the film was received well. Movie aggregators have poured out with generally favorable reviews, like Rotten Tomatoes, who have maintained a 91 percent score and Metacritic rates the film as 71 out of a possible 100 rating, with mostly positive reviews.
So far, a sequel is in the works, which will star Moss and will be a retelling of the story “The Invisible Woman” created in 1940. Given the success of this film with such a small budget, it would be wise of “The Invisible Woman’s” production team to spend carefully as they did with this film. This movie is definitely worth watching as it keeps the audience guessing at every turn.
“The Invisible Man” receives 4.5 out of five paws for a job well done.
