So far The Invisible Man reboot looks like it might be taking a page right out of Hollow Man but with an even more psychotic lean to it since the main characters seem a lot more tortured and not nearly as contrived. According to Michael Kennedy of ScreenRant the original actor picked for the role that Claude Rains made so famous was none other than Johnny Depp, but after the flops that were Dracula Untold and The Mummy with Tom Cruise things were looking kind of grim. In all honesty the Invisible Man is a property that’s been overlooked and underappreciated for a long time since there was nothing really supernatural about him. The character was based on all science fiction and not anything that people seemed to lock onto as far as the spooks and scares that have earned such massive audiences in the past. Even movies like The Blob and Frankenstein have made their way into the annals of cinematic history easier than the Invisible Man, which is kind of ironic if you think about it.
Kevin Bacon’s character in Hollow Man did make a good point when alluding to how easy it was to get away with anything when you don’t have to look at yourself in the mirror. The one thing that the Invisible Man has almost always been known for is that he’s a bit of an egomaniac and has the tendency to be so much worse than other monsters for one simple reason. You can’t see him coming. Obviously if he’s coated in something you can see the guy, but there’s a good chance that before that can happen he’ll be standing right next to you and any measure a person might take at that point is simply too late. That’s what makes this character so dangerous, no one can see him coming and unless he’s particularly loud or steps in something that will leave a print or an imprint, no one will ever know he’s there. This seems to be one of the ideas of the new movie that’s coming out this coming February 2020, though there’s an interesting twist as well since the female lead in the movie, played by Elisabeth Moss, is the one being tormented by something, or rather someone, that everyone else believes is dead since the evidence states that he killed himself and then left her everything. But this is a ploy so that he can go about torturing her like the sadist he is, making her question her sanity and causing everyone around her to think that she’s gone right off the deep end.
When you think about it this is a perfect way to get to someone, or as close to perfect as possible, since it has the element of disbelief that so many would fall into quite easily considering that in the real world there is no known way to turn a body invisible. But in Hollow Man if you recall it turned an already egotistical and arrogant individual into a certified monster that was a threat to everyone. In this movie it would appear that the scientist is a sociopath to begin with, and is intent on torturing his widow with a vengeance that might not know any bounds. The one thing that is far too obvious about the Invisible Man however is that once he reveals himself the game is essentially over until he disappears once again, as his victims will be on high alert and will likely do anything and everything to prepare for him. But in this movie the level of disbelief is already high since the faked suicide is a perfect method when it comes to getting people to believe that his wife is slowly but surely losing her mind. Plus, it sets up a sense of false security that she’s free of him and won’t have to be afraid any longer. It seems sadistic and cruel to think of this is a great story idea, but then if you write such material then you see the beauty in it and the absolute mastery that comes with toying with the characters in such a manner.
Normally I’m firmly against reboots for the sole reason that the originals were good enough and should be left as the shining example of what a movie can really be. But in this case the Invisible Man might be worth watching since it’s been updated in a way that not only makes sense but hopefully won’t try to shoehorn any other movie monsters into view of the public as The Mummy did with the Jekyll and Hyde character. This is sheer sadism at best it would seem and it definitely has a great cast for what could potentially be one of the scarier movies of the coming year. Dirk Libbey of CinemaBlend has more on this topic.
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