An unsettling horror-thriller about an abused women and the people around her who refuse to listen, The Invisible Man is a striking, suspenseful piece of filmmaking, a terror-filled descent into almost-madness that refuses to give into convention.

 

Elisabeth Moss stars as Cecilia, who in the first escapes her abusive husband and his high-tech home only to discover that she had it pretty good, relatively speaking. Two weeks later she learns that her ex has killed himself—a huge relief until she begins to suspect that he has figured out how to become invisible and is stalking and tormenting her.

Needless to say, no one believes her.

No one is better suited for the role than Moss, whose incredible range is perfect to play a woman teetering on the edge of sanity (or at least appears to be). Despite the genre, the role is a beefy one, full of complexities and nuance that assuredly required a lot of reading between the lines. Moss gives an incredible performance.

Writer/director Leigh Whannell (Upgrade) takes Moss’s performance and runs with it, delivering an immersive experience that works relentlessly to keep you on edge. To call The Invisible Man discomforting is an understatement; between the score, the creative cinematography (which, interestingly, reminded me of Paranormal Activity) and the central concept that suggests that a psychopath may literally be in front of you without you knowing it, the movie is a masterstroke of suspense.

It isn’t scary, but it hints at it constantly—as is so often the case, the best horror movies are the ones that let your own mind do the hard work.

While Whannell successfully keeps you shifting in your seat, he simultaneously delivers a satisfyingly engrossing depiction of abuse, its lasting effects, and the damage caused by people unwilling to trust a “hysterical” woman.

The Invisible Man is an intense, suspenseful experience that works on many levels. It is easily Whannell’s best movie to date, and a must-see in theaters.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.