What would you do if your abusive ex figured out a way to stalk you without fear of being discovered? That's the conceit at the centre of Leigh Whannell's latest film, The Invisible Man, a nail-biting thriller that has more on its mind than providing simple thrills.
Starring Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia Kass, a woman who is rendered helpless in the face of an invisible evil, Whannell spins H.G. Wells classic science fiction novel of the same name into a timely and provocative exploration of psychological abuse.
Having escaped from a controlling relationship, Cecilia's rehabilitation is cut short by the sudden intrusion of her ex who has figured out how to regain control over her life without anyone knowing: by becoming invisible.
Expertly utilising sci-fi trappings to take gaslighting to a whole new extreme, the film depicts first-hand the anxieties faced by many modern-day survivors of abuse. As Cecilia stresses to those around her that her genius scientist ex has become invisible, we are left conflicted by knowing the truth of her words but also the understanding that, without hard evidence, it's hard to accept her story at face value.
By operating in that grey area, The Invisible Man proves the horror genre to be one of the most effective means to reflect modern day anxieties to mass audiences.
The trade-off, however, is that by focusing solely on Cecilia's plight, the films feels somewhat underexplained in terms of its villain. Certain actions of his seem straight up superhuman and, without an explanation, it feels as if some logical concessions have been made for dramatic purposes. Granted, to Whannell's credit, he wisely abides by the notion that leaving certain things up to the imagination is better than over explaining to the point of exhaustion.
Where so many would-be franchises have failed by focusing too much on setting up sequels, The Invisible Man plays squarely to its strength as a strong, character driven film. Whether it connects to an extended universe remains to be seen, but the film, much like its protagonist, feels much stronger standing on its own.
Starring Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia Kass, a woman who is rendered helpless in the face of an invisible evil, Whannell spins H.G. Wells classic science fiction novel of the same name into a timely and provocative exploration of psychological abuse.
Having escaped from a controlling relationship, Cecilia's rehabilitation is cut short by the sudden intrusion of her ex who has figured out how to regain control over her life without anyone knowing: by becoming invisible.
Expertly utilising sci-fi trappings to take gaslighting to a whole new extreme, the film depicts first-hand the anxieties faced by many modern-day survivors of abuse. As Cecilia stresses to those around her that her genius scientist ex has become invisible, we are left conflicted by knowing the truth of her words but also the understanding that, without hard evidence, it's hard to accept her story at face value.
By operating in that grey area, The Invisible Man proves the horror genre to be one of the most effective means to reflect modern day anxieties to mass audiences.
The trade-off, however, is that by focusing solely on Cecilia's plight, the films feels somewhat underexplained in terms of its villain. Certain actions of his seem straight up superhuman and, without an explanation, it feels as if some logical concessions have been made for dramatic purposes. Granted, to Whannell's credit, he wisely abides by the notion that leaving certain things up to the imagination is better than over explaining to the point of exhaustion.
Where so many would-be franchises have failed by focusing too much on setting up sequels, The Invisible Man plays squarely to its strength as a strong, character driven film. Whether it connects to an extended universe remains to be seen, but the film, much like its protagonist, feels much stronger standing on its own.