Movie Review: Invisible Man

This movie is in that vast grey area of not particularly memorable movies. 

The speculative tech they invent for the invisibility is fine. In fact I think it's far better than an invisibility potion. Likewise, the performances are strong. Where this movie falls down is the story structure.

The story is what you see in the previews: abused woman flees her abuser who decides to revenge himself on her. The problem is that there isn't anything else. There is no back story, nothing to be interested in besides Moss' character's escape.

Yes, there have been movies that have gotten away with that sort of single focus, but what makes it fall down in The Invisible Man is that they don't actually explore that relationship at all. The movie starts with the escape, a tense scene that contains the only appearance of 'the evil man' until the very end of the movie. Effectively there is no relationship on the screen. It is only referenced obliquely as the main character tries to reassemble her life.

So there is no real drama, no character interplay, only a series of random vengeful acts that assail Moss' character. They are done well. Some of them are properly startling and scary, and well delivered. But in the end, that's all there is. There is no character interplay, no rising tension, just a series of well-done jolts presented to the audience.

The ending is satisfying and fun, but it involves an enormous plot hole that destroyed it for me.