The Invisible Man is one of those films that’s made to be socially relevant to today’s social climate. Thanks to “The Handmaiden’s Tale,” Elisabeth Moss has a knack for getting audiences to care for her plight despite limited knowledge of her backstory during the beginning of the film. You care for her because Moss’s facial expressions and sense of urgency tell you all that you need to know about the situation. In a way, you correlate her character in the show to her character here.
But we’ve seen films like this plenty of times before, what makes the film so ingenious is the idea that Adrian is a master at getting inside of people’s heads. He has a knack for messing with you and in a way, that’s what he does to audiences in the film too. For a time, you begin to question if he’s there or if Cecilia’s paranoia is getting the best of her. In other words, it’s that “there’s a ghost there” mentality. This idea is where most of the creeps and anxiety come from. Is Adrian there or is it your mind playing tricks on you? The film gets you in so many ways.
Yet despite the psychological torture that Adrian causes Cecilia, you never get a sense of dread like no one is safe. Sure, there are scenes where our heroes are in mortal danger but it doesn’t seem like anything will happen to them.
However, if you’re looking for a non-stop jump-scare horror movie then The Invisible Man isn’t for you. The film is more of a psychological thriller than a terrifying scare-fest. So expect to see a lot of exposition dialogue and scenes that dialogue-heavy scenes that set up the rest of the events of the film. So those who aren’t into these kinds of films should curb their expectations.
Overall, The Invisible Man is a fantastic psychological thriller and another win for writer/director Leigh Whannell and Blumhouse. The film leaves you glued to the screen and on the edge-of-your-seat. Maybe this will be the film that will jumpstart Blumhouse’s version of the Dark Universe.
Movie Rating: 4/5 atoms
Video
The Invisible Man hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with an HDR transfer and a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The picture has a mix of medium-to-high contrast depending on the scene that you’re watching. In other words, the picture can look a bit flat or it can have a lot of depth. Despite the limited amount of brightly lit scenes, the bright areas in the picture are vibrant. The biggest concern lies with the black levels since there are a high amount of dark scenes. Yet the black levels are perfect, the shadowy areas are a deep black while still maintaining all of the details in these areas. The color saturation looks natural but some parts of the film, like lights, jump off the screen. The picture is also super clear—something you can see in the hair, makeup, and especially when you see parts of the invisible man. Overall, this is a great looking picture.
Video Rating: 5/5 atoms
Audio
The Invisible Man hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. This review will reflect The Invisible Man‘s Dolby Atmos track. Right from the opening credits, you can hear just how immersive this mix is like the waves crash against the rocks. Also, the mix makes amazing use of dynamic pans and sound placement to simulate where the invisible man is. In turn, this accentuates the tension and suspense of the film. The overhead effects are primarily used as a source of enveloping the viewer into the scene. Also, the mix can use the atmospherics subtly… So subtly that you’ll have to force yourself to be on the lookout for it or else you’ll miss it. It blends in with the mix so seamlessly. Benjamin Wallfisch’s score sounds layered across the soundstage and can use the subwoofer to also boom with authority. The mix also has clean and distinct dialogue coming from the center channel. Overall, this is a very good mix.
Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms
Special Features
The Invisible Man‘s Ultra HD Blu-ray disc has the following special features on the disc:
- Deleted Scenes
- Annie
- Changing Room Montage
- Blow it Up. Make It Rain. Out to Sea
- Daisies
- Where’s My Phone?
- Butt Chug
- There’s Someone Sitting in That Chair
- I Can Do This
- Insanity Defense
- Moss Manifested
- Director’s Journey with Leigh Whannell
- The Players
- Timeless Terror
- Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Leigh Whannell
The deleted scenes are interesting watches—particularly “Someone Sitting in That Chair”—but you can see why they were cut from the theatrical version of the film. “Moss Manifested” has Elisabeth Moss talking in-depth about what attracted her to the project and talking about some of the challenges in making the film. “Director’s Journey” is an entertaining and intriguing video diary where Whannell dictates his journey during filming. It’s honest and real and there is a lot of behind-the-scenes footage so technically you can say that this is the release’s behind-the-scenes featurette.
“The Players” has the cast break down and talk about their interpretations of their characters. It’s quick but you’ll get a deeper understanding of who these characters are from the perspective of those that played them. “Timeless Terror” takes an in-depth look at Leigh Whannell’s reasoning and ideas behind his adaptation of the 1933 classic of the same name.
Leigh Whannell’s feature commentary doesn’t quite go deep into the story details but he does reveal a ton of secrets about the making of the film—as he says “like a magician revealing his secrets.” However, he also provides tips and tricks to aspiring filmmakers in making a great movie. So if you’re a true student of film then this is a must-listen. It also helps that Whannell has a quirky sense of humor similar to Taika Waititi.
Special Features Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
Overall, The Invisible Man is a great modern interpretation of the 1933 classic. The video transfer and audio mix are all fantastic, and the special features are informative, albeit short.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
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