One of my biggest worries about today's cinema when it comes to rebooting and remaking classic properties is the loss of the original style. While I knew this film was a much darker and horrific take on the classic Universal monster story, I was never really expecting it to slap so hard. Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man is an absolutely excellent horror film that derives its terror from so many different sources. Whannell's script is amazing, providing so many genuinely scary moments, whether there is an invisible man or not. The use of tension throughout Whannell's direction and the technical aspects really aid in making this movie as ridden with anxiety as possible. Cheesiness is one thing that I feel the original is known for and while that could have easily been the case, Whannell takes a step in the perfect direction to bring the terror of not seeing someone to the forefront. Bolstered, of course, by a fantastic performance from Elisabeth Moss, this film is one remake that I can wholeheartedly support and appreciate due to its fantastic new take on its story.
After living with her abusive boyfriend Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) for a few years, Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) decides that she has to get out of her toxic situation. She leaves him in the middle of the night still carrying the fear that he is watching her and this terror is heightened when she begins to suspect that Adrian has developed a way to be invisible, watching her at all times. Whannell's writing and direction throughout this film are stunning. He has proven himself to be one of the most promising horror filmmakers of today and I was continuously impressed at how well he managed this story. My biggest fear was how cheesy this film could end up being, given that the main antagonist is invisible, but the way that Whannell writes his story shatters that expectation. The script for this film is incredibly tight as well and while it might not provide anything substantially twisty or genre-bending, his writing works in conjunction with the form of the narrative incredibly well. What I love most about this movie, however, is how it functions both as a horror film about an invisible monster and a horror film about abusive relationships. The genuine fear that stems from both is equally terrifying and Whannell writes his characters with such authenticity that was refreshing to see. This movie might not exactly be a revenge thriller or anything too on-the-nose, but the focus on Cecilia's relationship often more than the invisible aspect made for some very scary scenes. His tension works very well and his clever writing makes for such an interesting dynamic throughout the film. While some only saw Cecilia as paranoid for thinking Adrian was stalking her, the almost invisible element of tension was obvious, as it is difficult to know in certain scenes whether or not he was actually there.
Whannell has proven that he is a master of classic storytelling and his direction exhibits just that. There is a scene about halfway through this film that completely alters the course of the film and its events left me shaking. While it definitely took a much darker turn, I adored how well this director handled the story in the second half. Stefan Duscio's cinematography and Andy Canny's editing work so well together in order to execute Whannell's vision. The way that Duscio frames every shot of this film to just summon tension from nowhere is astounding. Both of these technical elements were utilized just perfectly to create this unnerving atmosphere in absolutely still environments. There are some scenes throughout this film that just linger on a certain shot for a long time and because of Canny's editing, the long takes helped to manifest this crippling anxiety. Every creative choice throughout this film is thought through very well and creates the epitome of what I want to see in a horror film. Along with all of these fantastic elements, The Invisible Man solely relies upon the performance from Elisabeth Moss to sell what it is putting out and boy, is she a good saleswoman. Her performance is phenomenal and while I did not expect anything less, I was still floored by her multi-dimensional portrayal of Cecilia. Moss is one of my favorite working actresses and while I would like to think that she could do more types of genres, she is damn good at the ones she is currently working within. The way that she embodies both the grief of losing someone and the complexity of loving and despising them along with the horror aspects of this film is fantastic to watch and this was a role that truly no one else could have done.
What one can't see can actually be dangerous and Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man helps in solidifying that statement. This remake of the classic monster movie is updated brilliantly for our modern culture and makes for an absolutely liberating conclusion for our protagonist. I was genuinely not expecting this movie to be as well-made as it was but this really only enhanced my experience. The more stressful yet impressive roles Elisabeth Moss can fill the better, but someone should also make sure to check up on her every once in a while.
My Rating: ★★★★½
No comments:
Post a Comment