Whannell’s most ingenious decision in crafting this story is
in rethinking the drive of the man at the center of the action. In the 1933
film an ambitious man succeeds in creating an astonishing breakthrough but is
pushed to madness by it. This film is about a man who is so successful in such
a profitable way that his madness is tolerated and even encouraged. Instead of
his scientific breakthrough/discovery slowly driving him mad, it was his
madness (or at least his personality disorder) that allows him to accomplish
the breakthrough around which the film revolves. It is his ‘madness’ that pushed
him toward this discovery meaning that his flaws created the capability to achieve
his incredible accomplishment but it is also what will be his downfall. Just
changing the focus from the title character to victim wasn’t considered enough
to craft a new tale. Whannell wisely saw that the kind of person that could create
such a next level project would have to be slightly cracked from the beginning.
That insight makes THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020) more than just a clever horror film
– it is also a scary look inside a disordered mind. It’s nice to see
a movie think several steps beyond the standard twist endings a good thriller
can provide and nail each and every one. Bravo!
The List
PANTHER SQUAD (1984) – 3 (Jack Taylor is great in this mess)
DINOSAURUS! (1960) – 4 (not great)
THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020) – 9
THE MAGIC SWORD (1961) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)
DANGEROUS CARGO (1977) – 6 (Greek crime film)
UPGRADE (2018) – 7 (solid, scary sci-fi thriller)
THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR (1929) – 6 (creaky but well done mystery)
THE STRANGE DOOR (1951) – 8 (rewatach on Blu)
THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1964) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)
GIGANTES PLANETARIOS (1966) – 3 (terrible but amusing Mexican SF/comedy)
THE FALCON AND THE CO-EDS (1943) – 7 (very good/artful entry in the series)
EXTERMINATOR 2 (1984)- 6 (rewatch on Blu)
THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES (2018) – 9 (excellent subjective look at the great man’s art)
X THE UNKNOWN (1957) – 7 (rewatch)
DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY (1950) – 6 (the radio show on the big screen!)
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