The Invisible Man - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Invisible Man



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
H.G. Wells has been a “well” of inspiration (haha, I had to laugh at my own pun) for sci-fi and horror films for quite some time. Last week we dug unto the 4K UHD of War of the Worlds, and now it’s another remake of The Invisible Man. The Invisible Man has been one of Wells best known works (probably only second behind War of the Worlds) and has been made and remade a dozen times, ranging from the 1933 film, to the Kevin Bacon Hollow Man, and even a TV show in the very early 2000’s (which was a guilty pleasure of mine). With it being remade and reimagined once more I was fully waiting for the film to be dead on arrival, only for the 2019 film to get really good reviews. Naturally I was a little curious, but waited until the review disc came to my house to see it, and have to say that I agree with the critics. This is a much better movie than I ever expected, makes it as creepy and horrific as the Kevin Bacon version, with a nice dark twist that would have put a smile on H.G. Wells face.

The film opens with Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) sneaking out of her ocean side house, desperate and terrified to get away from her husband, Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Barely getting away with the help of her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer) Cecilia hides herself away with a cop friend of Emily (played by Aldis Hodge of Leverage fame) where she hopes that Adrian can’t reach her. Terrified and going slightly insane, Cecilia is jumping at every shadow, until she gets the news that her husband has committed suicide. Slowly coming out of her shell, the battered wife begins to come alive for the first time and experience life. However, her past may still haunt her, even though she’s free, as Cecilia starts having glimpses of something out of the corner of her eye, and starts experiencing strange things in the house that she’s staying at.

Convinced that it’s actually Adrian cheating death, she tries to tell everyone she knows that her dead husband found a way to haunt her, only to be shunned at every turn. Little by little the terrified woman begins to understand that she’s not crazy. Something is after her and she can’t see it. But she can see th swatch of manipulation and destruction that follows in this things wake, and soon it will consume her mind, body and soul.

The Invisible Man is a terrifying psychological thriller that takes time to build its premise and peak. The story doesn’t really tell the backstory between Adrian and Cecilia, but it paints a rather good picture just by watching her terror and apprehension towards him. This sort of silent terror builds and builds as the manipulation and psychological terror begins when Adrian comes to torture his ex wife. If you’ve ever heard the term “gaslighting” before, be assured that this is a textbook case of it happening. Adrian manipulates and toys with her, driving Cecilia to believe that she very well may be insane, even though she knows herself to be completely aware of what’s happening.

I like how they modernized the story a bit with the invention of the suit. Instead of having a science experiment gone wrong, or something like that, we have a much more plausible and realistic take on how someone could achieve invisibility in this day and age. That being said, there ARE a few plot holes in the movie (such as how Adrian cleaned the paint off off his suit so quickly during their first real confrontation, or why he would leave so many guards alive to tell the tale during the hospital escape scene), but overall it’s a very solid thriller that grabs you by the trail and doesn’t let go till the credits roll.




Rating:

Rated R for some strong bloody violence, and language. |




Video:

The aging Blu-ray format still has some life left in it, as the Blu-ray image for The Invisible Man is near perfect. The 2.39:1 framed image is awash with darkness and a monochromatic color scheme that leans heavily towards blue/grays and dull olive tones. The darkest of spots DO show some digital noise and some black crush, but they are definitely revealing enough, showcasing good facial details and solid background detailing, even midst the darkest shadows. The skin tones are spot on, but I noticed when comparing to the 4K UHD disc that the Blu-ray looks a bit over brightened in comparison. Mostly during daylight shots, but sometimes the shadows suffer a bit as they can look slightly milky in comparison. All in all, this is a very good transfer that handles the tough imagery with relative ease.







Audio:

The Dolby Atmos (found on both the Blu-ray and the 4K UHD discs) is a show stopper as well, setting the mood for the rest of the movie with the opening few minutes. Waves lap up onto the beach, crashing swells slam into rock walls, and the score slams us with deep waves of ominous bass as Cecilia makes her escape from the mansion. The track can be front heavy at times, but it is NOT a weak mix by any stretch of the imagination. The surrounds and mains crackle with energy as Cecilia fights against an unseen assailant, and the little background noises stand out with crystal clear perfection. The bass is utterly devastating, with deep sub 20hz sound waves smashing the viewer into their seat with huge booms and crashes. There was more than a few times where I heard my 18 inch drivers flexing and sweating from the workout. Overheads are soft but active, especially with sounds of rain pitter pattering over head during the hospital escape. Fantastic mix, and fantastic sound all around.






Extras:

• DELETED SCENES
• MOSS MANIFESTED – Elisabeth Moss describes the physical and emotional challenges she faced while portraying Cecilia, a woman whose truth is constantly questioned by those around her.
• DIRECTOR'S JOURNEY WITH LEIGH WHANNELL – Director Leigh Whannell acts as tour guide through principal photography, from day 1 to day 40.
• THE PLAYERS – Filmmakers and cast provide an in-depth analysis of each character and how they interact with the unseen terror of THE INVISIBLE MAN.
• TIMELESS TERROR – A behind the scenes look at how writer/director Leigh Whannell re-imagined this iconic character through the lens of modern technology and socially relatable themes.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR LEIGH WHANNELL

Final Score: ​

The Invisible Man was a whole lot better than I expected, and a fun ride from beginning to end. There were a few unbelievable moments throughout, but what really kept the movie thrilling was Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia. She portrays the woman in such a tortured and traumatized way that you can’t help but be drawn into her world and sympathize with the hunted and haunted woman. The story itself is well written and well acted by everyone else, but Moss is a standout player here with a great performance that just drives it home. The Blu-ray disc is great , with excellent ratings for both the video and audio. Extras are solid enough, but the movie, and the technical specs makes this a very good buy in my opinion.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer, Storm Reid, Michael Dorman, Bendict Hardie, Renee Lim
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Written by: Leigh Whannell
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), Spanish DD 7.1, French (Canada) DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: R
Runtime: 124 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: May 26th 2020

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[Jack1949]

I was hoping this would be a movie worth watching. This is one of the horror movies I watched growing up in the 1950s, so I was looking forward to seeing an updated version. Thanks for reviewing this.

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I also was thinking this would be worth watching but was kind of apprehensive. After reading the review, will check it out.

 

[Asere]

Yeeeeessss!!!!! Just the review I was looking for
I will be watching it this weekend and then will read your review because I want to go in blind. Glad to see the 4 stars.