Finding the next great horror movie within a classic Universal monster? Especially after the quick collapse of the Dark Universe, that wouldn’t have seemed incredibly likely, even just a year or so ago. However, in Blumhouse we trust. In the hands of filmmaker Leigh Whannell and producer Jason Blum, The Invisible Man manages to surprise in all of the best ways. Notably, Whannell not just makes this a timely tale about believing women, he employs one of the best actresses in the business with Elisabeth Moss. That choice alone goes a long way, but almost every single element here works far better than expected. In fact, this may well be the best film of the year so far. Without question, it’s in the top two or three, representing the next fright flick that should not only be a huge hit, but deserves awards attention as well. This film is a modern retelling of the classic Universal character, though with an important spin/twist. Here, instead, we’re focused on someone who’s tormented by an invisible figure. That person is Cecilia Kass (Moss), first seen planning an escape from her abusive boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Having long planned this, she’s just barely able to evade his clutches, leaving their secluded mansion and racing away with her sister Alice (Harriet Dyer). A few weeks later, she’s recovering slowly from her trauma at the home of her detective friend James (Aldis Hodge). James and his daughter Sydney (Storm Reid) provide a support system, though Cecilia still worries that Adrian, a rich inventor, has the means to track her down. Then, Alice arrives to inform her that Adrian has taken his own life. Meeting with Adrian’s brother Tom (Michael Dorman), they learn that she’s also set to inherit $5 million. Soon, however, things don’t appear right. Cecilia feels Adrian around her, quickly deducing that he’s somehow faked his own death and become invisible. No one believes her, but in short order Adrian begins tormenting her, loosening her grip on reality. As she tries to figure out what he wants, and why, her loved ones question if she’s merely going insane. The gaslighting is just the start, though the less you know going in, the better. Whannell writes and directs, with supporting players including Nash Edgerton, Amali Golden, Benedict Hardie, and more. Stefan Duscio handles the cinematography, while the score is by Benjamin Wallfisch. Elisabeth Moss […]