Two years ago, Universal Pictures attempted to usher in a new era of interconnected monster movies called the Dark Universe with the Tom Cruise action movie, The Mummy. That didn’t work out but Universal is forging ahead creating new filmmaker-driven movies featuring its classic monster characters that may fall under a Dark Universe branding. First up is Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man. Check out our first look at a dude we can’t see below.
Yeesh, that’s unsettling. And she thought things were tough in Gilead. Alex Kurtzman’s The Mummy went for more of an action-adventure vibe but if this image is any indication, The Invisible Man will be leaning into the fact that these are horror characters. Our first look at The Invisible Man shows that the titular character played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen will be spying on Elisabeth Moss’s character when she is in the shower.
It doesn’t look like she is aware of his presence just yet here, but this hand print against the glass imagery is intensely creepy. This isn’t like the sorrowful ‘Not Penny’s Boat’ moment from Lost, nor the parting of Spock in The Wrath of Khan, this is voyeuristic and sinister with the Invisible Man sneaking up on her when she is naked and at her most vulnerable.
It’s hard not to see an image of a woman in a shower in a horror film and not immediately think of Psycho and the fate that befell Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane. It also reminds me of Hollow Man, which makes sense given that that film is also inspired by H.G. Wells’ novel.
Up until now, we haven’t really known much about The Invisible Man, other than that it would be a standalone film and that it would feature, you guessed it, an invisible man. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we now have a better idea of what Leigh Whannell has in store for his take on Universal’s classic movie monster in this horror-thriller.
Golden Globe winner Elisabeth Moss plays Cecilia Kass, a woman who is trapped in a violent and controlling relationship. Her significant other, played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, is an incredibly wealthy and brilliant scientist. To leave someone this powerful and controlling, Cecilia goes into hiding with the aid of her sister, their friend and his teenage daughter.
Ceclia’s ex seemingly commits suicide, leaving her his fortune, but she is rightfully suspicious. As you would imagine, deadly things start to happen and Cecilia begins to believe that she is being hunted and haunted by a force she cannot see. That dynamic makes her and the people around her begin to question her sanity.
In another image from Entertainment Weekly, Elisabeth Moss’s character is seen being dragged away at what looks like a medical facility, indicating that the gaslighting going on will prove extremely effective, at least for a while. It’s definitely an interesting take on The Invisible Man story and one that sounds quite scary.
This woman was already in an abusive relationship where there was a power imbalance and now literally the last person in the world she would want near her has the ability to be right next to her without her knowing. Leigh Whannell told Entertainment Weekly that he wanted to make his version of this story modern, grounded and tense and this first image looks like a good start.
The Invisible Man arrives in theaters on February 28, 2020. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies coming out next year.
