Photo: Universal Pictures  https://www.vulture.com/2020/02/the-invisible-man-movie-review.html

Over the break, I watched The Invisible Man directed by Leigh Whannell. The film challenges other conventional horror and thriller films because it does not rely on what is shown on the screen for the most part. It is actually what is not shown that plays with the audience’s perception of real and fake, and even takes an unexpected turn into the sci-fi realm. What stood out the most to me as a viewer was the intricacy of the action scenes. The plot revolves around Elisabeth Moss’s character dealing with an unseen force, so from a technical aspect, it was impressive to see how they went about displaying this in a believable manner. According to interviews, all of the action sequences were filmed with real-life stunt performers and the main actress without relying on CGI, and this decision definitely helped pay off in the end.

Even without heavy CGI, the narrative was fulfilled through well-timed and choreographed movements.  Advanced motion capturing cameras required actors and performers to be precise with their timing to follow the camera tracking. The rotating camera’s orientation towards an area of the room gave just enough time for performers to alternate in the scene before the next action. For example, in a scene where Cecilia first encounters the “figure” in her kitchen,  she is lifted and thrown across the room seemingly all in one take. But in actuality the main actress and her double alternated seamlessly while a green suit performer played the role of the “figure”, giving many off-screen directions for Cecilia’s reactions. It was remarkable just how effective the acting and choreography was in building the intensity of some of the film’s scariest moments.  Overall, this was a fantastic flick that I’d recommend for any movie-goer who is looking for an elevated approach to sci-fi horror.