“The Invisible Man” Review – Never Underestimate a Woman3 min read

Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner, Elisabeth Moss, delivers a strong performance in the psychological thriller “The Invisible Man”. Although movie theatres have been forced to close their doors to the public due to Coronavirus, this doesn’t stop Moss from dominating in this screen adaptation of the 1897 H.G. Wells book.

Best known for her role in “The Handmaid’s Tale”, Moss portrays the life of Cecilia, who manages to flee from her abusive boyfriend, Adrian, only to discover that he is still finding ways to control and manipulate her after his death.  

Played by Oliver Jackson- Cohen (also starring in “The Haunting of Hill House” on Netflix), Adrian is an industry leading optics specialist who tries to control Cecilia’s every move. One night, however, she successfully escapes him… or so she thinks.

Since leaving her toxic relationship behind and moving in with a friend of her sister, she finds herself unable to leave the past behind. She exhibits signs related to post- traumatic stress disorder which scare her from leaving her new home. 

Soon after, Cecilia learns that her former partner has committed suicide and left her $5 million in his will. Seeing this as an opportunity to start over, she feels hopeful for the first time since leaving her abuser.

Just as she begins to reclaim her life, Cecelia starts experiencing strange, and often violent, events. Important items are being misplaced, doors open spontaneously on their own, and an invisible entity drags her across the kitchen floor. 

While she may be a victim of domestic abuse, Moss’ character is hardly a damsel in distress, as she knows that this is the work of Adrian.

After law enforcement dismisses her claims of Adrian inventing a way to make himself invisible, Cecilia decides to take the law into her own hands.

Moss emotionally depicts the life of a woman who will stop at nothing to regain the power that her abuser has attempted to steal from her. More so, she demonstrates the strength of every woman who feels trapped in a domestic abusive relationship.

“The Invisible Man” could not have come at a better time. Former Hollywood director, Harvey Weinstein was recently found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in prison after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and rape. This was a relief to his victims; however, many do not feel as though justice was fully served as he was only convicted on two of the five charges brought against him.

Weinstein viewed women as mere objects; nothing more than a means to an end. His attempts to rob them of their pride and integrity ultimately backfired on him, while also sparking the #MeToo Movement. His status as being a big name in Hollywood quickly diminished as more and more women came forward about his attacks on them. 

His very public downfall gave strength to his victims and “The Invisible Man” serves as a metaphor that women should never be underestimated.  While a single film can not change what has happened to these courageous and resilient women, it has the ability to empower survivors because in this story, it is them who hold really hold the power.

A woman prevailing over a man who has continuously tortured and put her through tremendous pain is both extremely brave and admirable. There needs to be more films like this; those that do not hesitate to dive deep into the terror of abusive relationships and show the true strength of women everywhere. 

“The Invisible Man” is a riveting movie which conveys that while we may not be able to control what has happened to us, we are able to control what happens to us in the future, even if it seems impossible. In this film, Elisabeth Moss was nothing short of praiseworthy and in the final scene, you will understand why.

Image source: Cinema Crazed