The Invisible Man

Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man is heavy on quality suspense and scares, but surprisingly light on character development and logic.

Barely anything is known about Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss), her controlling, abusive partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Haunting of Hill House), sister Emily (TV actress Harriet Dyer) or trusted friend James (Aldis Hodge, Clemency) and his daughter Sydney (Storm Reid, A Wrinkle in Time). Details that are known, such as occupations — Cecilia’s an architect, James is a cop — seem like afterthoughts, while backstories are all but absent and character traits are stingily doled out.

And yet, under the director’s masterful guidance, these one-dimensional excuses for human beings make perfectly fine conduits for top-notch horror.

Whannell’s efficient script finds Cecilia struggling to reassert her independence after a daring escape from her and Adrian’s house, even after news of his suicide that should bring her relief and closure. However, strange occurrences at James’ would-be haven of a home convince her that the allegedly deceased optics billionaire has found a way to make himself invisible — and is committed to terrorizing her.

To introduce this far-fetched yet seemingly accurate theory, Whannell makes superb use of empty space, lingering on it and playing with P.O.V. to suggest the presence of a stalker. As he did in his directorial debut, Insidious: Chapter 3, the writer/director also builds sludge-thick tension, keeping viewers guessing about when and where the inevitable jump will occur.

But as the unseen force ramps up Cecilia’s paranoia and gradually isolates her from those she loves, The Invisible Man piles up inconsistent logic regarding such key factors as paint, dogs, and technology, as well as the consequences of fairly shocking third-act plot twists.

Though confounding and distracting in the moment, most of the revelations hold up in hindsight, while other aspects require leaps regarding just how inept the San Francisco Bay-area police force is.

Regardless, the alarming number of head-scratchers are unable to impede Whannell’s impeccable command, and even in those questionable moments, glorious panic reigns supreme.

Grade: B. Rated R. Now playing at AMC Classic, Biltmore Grande, and Carolina Cinemark

(Photo: Universal Pictures)