I like to do a little research before writing these reviews, I am not trying to brag but I know how to use Google, no big deal. And the thing that most shocked me was that this film was made for 9 million dollars. $9 million, that’s basically the cost of one day of food on a big film set. With that fact alone I would recommend this film. You vote with your wallet, and more low budget films that give innovative filmmakers a little more resource to make interesting and exciting films is worth it.
Director Leigh Whannell is known for making things look way more expensive than they are. His film Upgrade was made for $5 Million and looks as slick as any blockbuster. He also wrote Saw, so you know he has horror chops.
The Invisible Man is a contemporary retelling of H.G Wells 1897 novel, instead of focusing on the titular character, it focuses on his victim Cecilia Kass, played by the always captivating Elisabeth Moss.
Right off the bat, Cecilia is trying to escape from this amazing house overlooking the ocean. She sneaks out of the house only to get found out and nearly caught before speeding off in a waiting car. This film is all about domestic violence and its effects on the person and their supporters. It only briefly says it out loud but it’s shouting it at you the whole time.
The plot thickens when the ex-boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) appears to have committed suicide and left money for Cecilia but with many stipulations. There were scenes in the trailer that talked about this in a different way so the film must have changed a bit in the edit.
The film builds tension brilliantly. Many people in the cinema were jumping out of their chairs and the tension in the room was electric. The use of empty space in the frame created an unease if the invisible man was there or not. Any time the camera panned it made you feel something bad would happen.
The movie explores the idea of having no one believe you and the scars of the relationship are used against you to make you seem crazy. It also shows the challenges that mental health and domestic violence raise for those that are trying to help. It’s difficult to believe without proof, especially if someone is saying a dead person is standing alive in the same room but you can’t see them.
Although it was a very well-made film that had moments of real terror and dread, for me it didn’t stick the landing so I left being a little underwhelmed. It was however gripping for 95% of the film – and many films costing hundreds of millions of dollars can’t do that.
HELPLINES
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness please visit Mental Health NZ.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence and wants help please visit here For Support or call Women’s Refuge on 0800 733 843.
25th February 2020
By Luke McMeeken-Ruscoe