The Invisible Man (2020) Review

        Happy Halloween or Dia de los Muertos when this gets posted. You may have noticed that my output has been significantly less compared to last year. To briefly talk about it, I’ve been working as a substitute teacher and some days is when I’m just drained. I know it’s not a good excuse but I still try to put out a good review on some great films. Or probably get my lazy keister to schedule things accordingly and have things prepared so that it doesn’t feel that I’m rushing at the last minute. Well, take it however way you want it. I’ve been wanting to see this film for awhile and it basically kicked off the decade as the continuation of quality horror. 

1. Update

        It’s been five years since I’ve talked about Leigh Whannel’s Upgrade. I just adored that film since it was something unique as an action film and utilizing the idea of someone’s humanity being lost to technology. So it seemed that while the movie didn’t do well financially, Universal decided to do another film where he has total control. And the thing I’ve noticed is that he never shies away from the potential of technology being abused and used in the wrong hands. Especially if it means updating a classic story to fit in the 21st Century. 

        Before I talk about the film, I want to at least give some context. The Invisible Man was written by the forerunner of sci-fi H.G. Wells. Universal adapted the story to be a part of their Monster franchise in the 30s. The success of that film spawned sequels that were loosely connected but never as good as the original. Due to the success of The Mummy films of the late 90s and early 2000s, Universal tried multiple times to adapt their Monster films for the new generation of filmgoers. 

        Ironically, it was Tom Cruise’s The Mummy that was supposed to kick off the Dark Universe. An experiment that would mirror the Marvel Cinematic Universe but infusing the classic Universal Monsters in a contemporary setting. Cruise’s film was so bad that it wiped out any potential of the universe growing. All the potential follow ups were cancelled by the waste side, as Johnny Depp was originally supposed to star in the hypothetical film. To salvage the slate, the studio decided to do a stand-alone film. 

        With the reset in place, it makes sense to do update the premise as the book was about the scientist Griffin who decides to use his experiment to rob but slowly grows isolated and insane. You simply can’t just do potions but imbue technology that seems practical to anyone nowadays. With the way the film works is simply lightning in a bottle, due to the execution in both the acting and in the greater context of the film. While I’ll talk about the big idea of the film, let’s talk about the many positives. 

        What’s funny is that this isn’t Elizabeth Moss’s first rodeo involving invisible people. As a child actress, she lends her voice in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Titled "See No Evil", Moss’s character has an “imaginary” friend that robs the bank that gets Batman’s attention. To the point that Batman defeats him by having water rain down on him. I just think it’s an interesting trivia and maybe the circumstances were too convenient that perhaps Moss wasn’t aware of it.

        Anyways, we follow Moss’s character Cecilia, as she escapes from her abusive relationship in which her ex is a brilliant scientist. After being told that her ex committed suicide, odd things start to occur around her where she feels like she is being watched. To the point where she’s paranoid and inevitably realizes that her ex is physically abusing her through intangibility. I’ll talk about that aspect in the next tab. I will say that Elizabeth Moss just steals the show. 

        Playing Cecilia, Moss just shows just how much of a wreck she is as she’s slowly recovering from her abusive relationship. One would think that she would be in one place, but as soon as any progress to have her be better is when the terror sets in. The way it’s shot is just perfect since we get a lot of camera pans of where the character is and can only imagine where the threat is. The execution is on par with Jaws. I’ll continue to harp on this but the best part in any great horror film is not seeing where the threat is and what’s going to happen. 

        Following the template where he can be anywhere near Cecilia, and us just dreading what he’ll do when he’s alone with her. The way the terror is used is amplified by having it be cruel mind games then it gradually becoming physical where we see Griffin drag the abused. It’s the best executed horror when it’s becoming terrifying since we can only imagine what their relationship was prior to the film starting. While we do hear what their past was like, this was inevitable a toxic relationship. 

        I should at least talk about the special effects. As I mentioned earlier, there was no way to have it be where a potion is created and to have us believe it. The original worked since it took place where it was plausible in the context of the story. In this one, a suit is built where the body has a hexagonal honeycomb look to it with tiny cameras that reflect the setting. It’s great but an audio flaw where we can hear where he is when Cecilia is attempting to find him. 

2. Domestic Abuse

        I can imagine that some die-hard of the story was disappointed with the angle that was being used. If we’re being honest, this is Invisible Man in name only. The best thing though is that given the I.P. that we have, there’s ample opportunity to expand the core concepts and introduce the terror in unique ways that can still be terrifying to today’s audience. Having it be where an abuser wears a suit of invisibility and just making life to his ex a living hell is just brutal. 

        I didn’t touch on Moss’s character but I will now. As I mentioned earlier, she just nails the movie with her performance. She easily sells being terrified and paranoid with how much abuse she gets put through. I think it’s her face where she’s being questioned with no makeup and just having the eyes where she hasn’t gotten a good sleep. We got a good idea of what she wants, but just getting herself acclimated is ruined when her ex slowly dials up the abuse.

        Most of the execution is treated like a psychological horror film. This one makes it work by having it intersect with technology and nobody believing her one bit. To the point that the authorities and her ex’s brother not believing what she’s going through. In some way, I feel that this is a successor to Leigh Whannel’s prior work Saw. He wrote that one, but while that one feels exploitive with the torture aspect. This one is for a lack of a better word better since Cecilia is being tortured by her ex and there’s nothing she can do about it. 

3. Overall

        The Invisible Man is one of the best horror films of this decade. 

It (2017) Review

        The 2010s is when the horror genre started a rebound of relevancy. Across the spectrum of showing a scary story is when multiple directors churned out classics that have helped defined the decade. Specifically James Wan who directed The Conjuring and Jordan Peele who directed Get Out. It was with the relevancy that it became respected with Guillermo Del Toro’s film The Shape of Water winning Best Picture at the Oscars. During the time, there was a nostalgia of the 80s and it helped that the Netflix series Stranger Things was gaining popularity among the masses. With the combination of genre relevancy and nostalgia is a perfect storm with adapting one of Stephen King’s best work. 

1. Summer of 89

        When it was first announced, I was ambivalent since I wasn’t a big horror fan as I am now. Mind you, I didn’t even read the book since just briefly glancing it’s extremely thick that probably gives Dune it’s own run for its money. When I first saw the picture of Bill Skarsgard's look of Pennywise, I thought it was different than the previous Pennywise from the 90s. Little do people know that this film is the first feature length adaptation of the Stephen King story. I’m sure that my generations first exposure is when the VHS copy of It had Tim Curry’s murderous clown. When watching that one, it was originally a miniseries that got condensed to feature length when it was available on home video. 

        So yeah, when it came out it was popular since it was something completely different as a horror film and a Stephen King adaptation. Just a perfect time since it’s been riding on the coattails of Stranger Things with it’s youth centric narrative of combating an unknown threat. While the sub-genre isn’t entirely new, the decade had one film that predates all of it called Super 8 by J.J. Abrams which I think was part of the beginning of the nostalgia craze. What makes the story engrossing is just seeing the kids confront something that is beyond them. The level of empathy is spiked since we don’t want to see them get hurt or die. 

        Let’s talk about this film. Story for one thing is super simple since we follow a group of friends that all have experiences with It. An unknown creature that takes many forms that morphs into the kid’s worst fears. For example, our main character Bill has guilt that he was responsible for his little brothers death. And Eddie who is a hypochondriac that fears for his own health. I love how the group comes together as we see in the beginning that they have encounters of the clown. 

        What makes the movie work is the kids. All the actors have that camaraderie and chemistry that is so hard to nail when working with adults. When they’re together, they sell the idea that they’re close and have been friends for a long time. Like, all of them have a quirk where they joke and jab with each other as kids do. I’m glad that they cuss since it grounds them that they’re pre-teens and that they’re trying to act like teenagers. Richie is just hilarious and steals the show when we’re focusing on the kids. 

        The overall plotting of the Losers Club is great since we see them progressively figuring out what It is. I like that Ben as an outsider finds out that the whole town has a weird quirk practically kicks off with the formation of the group and finding It. The moments when they are first attacked as a group and then mounting a rescue just has us rooting for them. And I love how all of them have their fears and that they aren’t defined by them, but they grow up to confront It. What makes it better is that it all takes place in the summer. A perfect time when we see them at their element and growing their chemistry. 

        You may notice that I haven’t talked about any adults in this mostly kid-centric 1st chapter. A thing I’ve noticed is that the adults mostly keep to themselves whenever the kids are experiencing a threat or one of It’s manifestations. A recurring thing is when one of the parents watches a PBS-esque show with a teacher and her students. And the show pops up more since I believe that it’s supposed to be a brainwashing thing that Pennywise is using for the adults. I can’t confirm it, but I think that’s the idea as to why the adults don’t initially believe the kids. 

2. Pennywise

        Probably the most memorable moment in the story either in print or in visual media is when Georgie dies. As well as the first introduction to Pennywise the Clown. Bill Skarsgard nails the role as the clown and the fact that we only ever see him in his physical form just shows us just how much of an otherworldly threat he is. What makes him threatening is the fact that he can change his appearance. When Georgie sees him in the storm drain, he changes his eyes to make them blue and inviting. Keeping his clown appearance but playing to Georgie’s naivety as a young kid.

        Throughout the film, it feels like Pennywise is everywhere and not just showing up in his clown appearance. Like, he appears in the background when the group tends to Ben’s wounds from the town bully. What makes him a big threat is that he feeds on the victim’s fears. Nearly all the group has fears and Pennywise exploits them when he encounters them individually. Such as Beverly as Pennywise attacks her by spewing blood from the sink in her restroom. Compounding it is that her own dad doesn’t see the blood covered in the room. 

        Much like Jaws, what makes the film work to keep Pennywise scary is that we don’t see him. As I said, his presence is felt everywhere since It seems to have a thumb on the town of Derry. With the adults unintentionally fueling it when they are oblivious or ignoring what’s going on with the disappearance of various kids. Another thing I find interesting is that when Ben is attacked by the bullies, he sees a car pass by. Only to have a balloon pop up in the backseat. I can only imagine it through a child’s lens that it must be miserable to have no adults help or understand what’s going on. 

        One other thing that I’ve noticed about Pennywise is his eyes. When one of his eyes is looking elsewhere wasn’t something that was created during the special effects part of the film. Bill Skarsgard has Binocular Vision Dysfunction, and I think it adds that this thing is otherworldly when it starts to go feral instead of maintaining the Pennywise personality. I think I made a connection when I took a history class on Christianity, when we talked about the paintings of Jesus where one of his eyes aren’t look straight. It’s a stretch I know, but I tend to think that the film is communicating that Pennywise is divine since he’s literally not from this world. I lost a lot of people but it’s the one time paying attention in class helped me make a connection. 

        Since he’s so powerful that I’m glad they ground it that he has a weakness. Of course, it’s established that he’s powerless when there’s no fear. When Pennywise opens its mouth to hypnotize Beverly is when we see the Deadlights. While not established in this film, the gist of the Deadlights is that it’s the thing that is powering Pennywise to be a threat in Derry. I love that it’s not explored by just having Pennywise be just this threat that comes and goes. His mystique is interesting since, for any general audience who hasn’t read the story see it that it has multiple story opportunities to be explored. That of course leads to the second part of the story. 

3. Legacy

        No one could’ve imagined that this film would be one of the highest grossing R-Rated films for a time and one of the highest grossing Stephen King adaptations. With the success of the film, there were more adaptations that tried to capture lightning twice. While there were King adaptations that came out in the early part of the decade, just this film is where there was a renewed interest in seeing King’s works adapted. With every Pet Semetary you have a Doctor Sleep where it didn’t break the bank but was critically successful. 

        For those who didn’t read the book, it only made sense to adapt the second half of the book. It’s a common complaint in the story and the 90s miniseries that the adult section isn’t as good as the kids. What makes the first part interesting is the kids and that they’re fighting for their lives to stop Pennywise. Just the fact that they’re younger gives us so much empathy and sympathy for them. The adults is when most of the scare factors doesn’t work when they go back to end Pennywise for good. 

        It: Chapter Two was hyped since one the marketing showed the kids and their adult counterparts. I feel that in one way the film was desperate to bring them back when it’s supposed to have them all grown up. Warner Bros. was expecting an even bigger hit with the sequel, but it didn’t make it past the original’s box office gross. One day I’ll watch it but it’s such a tough task to try to top the first part since there was so much into the story. Inevitably, just this year is when Pennywise made his come back when the HBO show Welcome to Derry explores more of the town and Pennywise’s background prior to Georgie’s end. 

4. Overall

        It is one of the best Stephen King films and one of the best horror films of the 2010s.

The Others Review

        I think it’s tradition at this point where I talk about a dramatic ghost story. While it has elements of horror, its not one of those scary movies that some people tend to believe. Within the 90s and 2000s is what I’ll dub the dark age of horror. Most of the past franchises that defined the 80s were losing steam as the quality of sequels diminished. And inevitably remade for a new audience in the 2000s. Some outliers like Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and Scream added a more meta-angle to horror. And you have M. Night Shyamalan introducing a different type of ghost story. This one from Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, is on par with Shyamalan’s film.

1. Grace and The Intruders

        My childhood was something else with the level of exposure of horror films through parody films. I distinctly remember the first time I was exposed to The Others was I was road tripping with family friends and Scary Movie 3 was playing. Of course it was hilarious, but all the references like most things flew above my head. With “Michael Jackson” coming out of nowhere in the film. So when watching this film, I immediately was giggling with the memory but the whole film has a unique angle with telling a ghost story. 

        We follow Grace as she welcomes the new help with maintaining her mansion. Her and along with her two children live alone while her husband is off in combat during World War 2. As the help do their duties, Grace and the children hear noises in their house and try to figure out where they’re coming from. Not to give too much away, since I’ll be talking about that in the next tab, but I love the sense of mystery that the film has going for it. I think it helps when there’s fog engulfing the whole house that easily sets the tone of the vibe we’re feeling. 

        As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t like all the horror movies where there’s cheap scares noise that pops up every now and then. It’s a very cerebral film where we’re with Nicole Kidman’s Grace as she’s trying to be a good mom to her kids and try to find the invaders in their home. I was surprised with how Kidman did her British accent. One of the few Americans that can be convincing and pull off a decent accent. Her whole thing is that she’s lovingly controlling to her kids as she wants them to learn the Bible and be educated. 

        The one knock on her is that she wants the curtains in the home to be covered. It’s established that her children are photosensitive and have light allergies. When the action starts to turn by having them open and then removed is when Grace starts to be erratic. All of it is justified since she wants to protect her kids from anything happening to them. To me it enhances the story since we can assume that the ghosts are toying with them and making Grace’s life more hectic. 

        The maids and the groundskeeper are good characters. Especially Mrs. Mills who is the voice of reason to Grace when they both talk after something happens. I like their relationship since Grace can be standoffish but listens to what Mills tells her. It’s a unique dynamic where Mills tends to the children when they have a ghostly encounter. Making Grace feel worthless as a mother. I think one of my favorite scenes involving both is when Grace goes to the attic and finds books with dead people. Mills explains to her what it is, but the owner is horrified by people having that. 

        Before I talk about how the Ghost Story archetype is handled, I should at least tease with how the supernatural elements play out. The good chunk of the perspective is focused on the key characters. We don’t see the apparitions or anything that are causing the noises and upending Grace’s family life. It’s always the things that we don’t see that is frightening and it’s inevitably revealed as to who exactly is causing it. Just the execution is spot on since the film has a psychological angle to it and having it be an unorthodox, haunted house story. 

2. Ghost Story

        Before I talk about the twist, I should elaborate on the clues that are visually given to us as the film progresses. What I love about the whole setup is that you have this house in the British Islands that is completely isolated with any help. Made apparent and amplified with the fog that surrounds the location and even stretching in the outskirts. It fits the vibe that something is really off with the family and that nothing appears ordinary when watching the film. Such as having the windows closed, no electricity and the fact that the children recite biblical lessons. 

        I just love how the reveal is slowly revealed when we see that the children’s father Charles arrives. He’s only there for a little bit but he’s so disconnected with everything that he relegates himself to the bedroom. One visual clue is revealed when Grace opens the drawer and the reflection of the bed is empty. With the little time that he’s in, its hinted that their relationship was already rocky and that he has to leave once more. It makes so that his return is cyclical and that he goes and comebacks. 

        So I should probably talk about the twist. In comparisons to this one and The Sixth Sense, this one of course has the reveal be gradual as the help know that they’re dead. Shymalan’s film has it be where it’s color coded to communicate to the audience that Bruce Willis’ character is dead. With this one it’s revealed to Grace that their whole family is dead through a séance that she and her children see. The execution of it is great, emboldening Grace to affirm that she and her family won’t leave. And the fact that they have contend with residing with the living in their home. 

        There’s a human element at play when we have the character personify a ghost. I love how the film approached it where they’re not in denial at first but just can’t fathom that they are dead among the living. To the point where they can’t find the people that are making the noises and moving the furniture. I would’ve liked it if it was a visual reversal where the humans are like shadows, as a red herring to the characters that we’re following. All of it in just how it was shown visually and with the story makes it interesting as a ghost story. 

3. Overall

        The Others is one of the best dramatic horror films of the 2000s and one of the best in the decade. 

Predator Review

        I’ve been waiting to talk about this film for a while. The 80s was a hotbed for the horror genre. You had many hits and franchise starters that have fueled the decade with multiple hits and schlocks. The big heavies were the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises as they had multiple sequels, due in part with their low budget that made it easier to film. You had the ones that are beloved in the decade such as Poltergeist, The Thing and Aliens, some of the premier stuff from horror directors and a future Oscar winner. Another intergalactic species made it’s first appearance but took a different approach than its xenomorph cousin. 

1. The Hunted

        It always goes back to cartoons that I watched in my youth. This time it was Dexter’s Laboratory in one of the segments where Dexter’s pet monkey is hunted by a lion-esque alien with an Australian accent. Rewatching, it’s clear that they took some elements of the movie to the cartoon and of course it stuck with me since I was a huge fan of the show. Anyways, I’ve been waiting to talk about Predator but I wanted to differentiate my look into the 80s by including the films that are up there in quality. 

        To me, this film is wedged between being an 80s action film with horror elements and I feel that it’s the perfect combination and appropriate considering the decades influx of the genre. As well as having Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film since it was his decade where he became popular and an action icon for Hollywood. While it’s not all guns blazing, I really like what the film is going for as far as making the threat real even for Arnold to overcome. 

        The movie is straightforward to follow. No corporate intrigue or slimy characters but just soldiers being tasked with a rescue mission in the jungles of Central America. Until they are slowly picked off one by one by a threat that they can’t see and having advanced weaponry. While I’ll talk about the star of the film, I’ll start with the human stars that perfectly reflect the machismo and muscle of the time. I feel that in one way this film is like a spiritual sequel to Arnold’s other film Commando. 

        Same aesthetic in a way, but one where Arnold uses his might and weaponry to defeat the enemies in that film. In this film, it’s more of an ensemble film with Schwarzeneggar, Carl Weathers and Bill Duke being the main stars of U.S. Special Forces conducting a search and rescue. You have the moments when inside the helicopter where the camaraderie between the men is interesting since they have a background. I would’ve liked to see more of Jesse Ventura, but he’s just one of the stars that spouts a catchphrase that’ll be used in the future. 

        The action is pretty good since the men come in with weaponry and ammo that would make the NRA blush. It’s a one sided fight since we see Arnold’s Dutch and company swarm and pin the guerilla fighters. All of it is executed with the gunfire, explosions and when we see how seemingly powerful the characters are. With the action taking place, I’m surprised how the perspective and story shift from that point to the creature that’s looking down on them.

        While I’ll talk about the alien in the next tab, I just love how the movie does the genre switcheroo. Starting off with the action makes us forget that it’s supposed to be a horror film due to how we see the characters be confident and seemingly prepared. After is when we see how hilariously underprepared they are when the men are picked off in gruesome ways. In some aspect, I feel that it’s a cycle of how we see the action play out. From the soldiers to attacking the guerillas, to this one alien killing the soldiers one by one. It has a prey and well predator motif to it where the film isn’t a mindless action slop.

        Lastly, I really like how the film has a muscle and intelligence angle that is going on. We get the obligatory muscle shots when Dutch and Dillon embrace when they test their strength. As well as how the men are nearly shirtless due to the jungle being humid. They are more cerebral as they try to outsmart the Predator but failing when they don’t know where it is exactly. The final act when Dutch uses both his strength and smarts to fight the creature is just perfect. In a way, it shows off how human intelligence can outsmart anything that isn’t from here. 

2. Predator

        The Predator is one of the most unique and technologically advanced alien that’s seen in movies. Well, that is when we see it since a good chunk of the movie is that he’s cloaked in invisibility. I like to imagine that we do see it and that it’s relegated to the branches of the trees since we see what it sees via heat vision. I want to imagine just how much of a task it was to shoot the camera with it and how bulky it was since it’s creative to show off how this is a different alien than what audiences expect. 

        What makes this alien different is that it’s not an invader or leading an invasion. For these kinds of films, you have to start out with one to show just how formidable they are and only imagine what an army would be like. This thing is literally an intergalactic big game hunter. To the point where we see just what exactly it hunts which is humans since it’s established that it will attack whenever it is threatened. We see the types of weapons that he uses and it’s gruesome when we see it kill Dutch’s men. And collecting the skulls of the victims as trophies. 

        I like the tech that is used aside from the heat vision. You got blasters and the double knife that can pick up anything that it kills. The invisibility makes him formidable since it has that Jaws effect where we don’t know where it is but it’s somewhere within the jungle just scoping out the prey. More so that it’s not just a mindless hunter, but one where there’s intelligence with how it wants to approach the targets. We see that it tends to its wounds and even using the dead’s voices to get its next trophy. 

        As far as horror mascots are concerned, I feel that the Predator is more of an action icon than horror. Don’t get me wrong where I think this film is horror where the humans are helpless against this thing and that their weapons barely wound it. I feel that the feel of having the humans be helpless is carried over from Aliens. Where the characters come in guns blazing until they are smacked around by something that is stronger than them. Having it in the jungle is reminiscent of the post Vietnam struggles that James Cameron’s film had going for. 

3. Legacy

        While the reception was mixed for the time, more reviewers warmed up to it and declare it one of the decade’s best action films and Arnold’s best. With the potential that the first film had, it spawned a media franchise ranging from comic books, video games and the obligatory sequels. The knock on them for awhile is that they weren’t as good as the first entry. Having it lean on action while lacking the suspense made it seem like the filmmakers missed the point of what the first one successful. 

        During the gaps between the sequel and the third entry, the Predator dueled with its 20th Century cousin in many media. As I stated with my Alien reviews, the two entries weren’t that good since it aimed for a broadened PG-13 approach and dismal R rating with it’s literal darkened approach and violence. It seemed to also take notes from its cousin by naming the third entry Predators. That film is my first exposure to the franchise proper, while it was okay with what it was going for. 

        This decade is when there’s an influx in Predator due to Disney buying 20th Century Fox and adopting their property. With the help of director Dan Trachtenberg is when the franchise finally got over the hump. His first film of the franchise Prey is one of the best in the franchise, considering that it’s literally number two as far as quality. And this year is when two films helmed by him appeared in both streaming and theatrical release. Judging by his execution it would make sense to have him lead the crossover franchise, time will tell if his next release will succeed. 

4. Overall 

        Predator is the reflection of the 80s and one of the best action films and underrated in horror.