Considering the multitude and the variability of adaptations of H.G. Wells novels, The Invisible Man may seem like a project simply up in the rotation. On the contrary, this most recent loose conceptualization is a perfect platform for championing a strong woman and having fun with the imagined pitfalls of impending choose-your-own-adventure technological advances.
The Invisible Man currently holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and was also made available on streaming services earlier than planned in response to the coronavirus quarantine situation.
The Invisible Man is also a nail-biting thriller in the tradition of hundreds of others, some of which fans of 2020's sci-fi horror film might enjoy checking out.
10 Halloween
John Carpenter's fresh approach to age-old horror tropes like a creeping terror and a damsel in distress included a heroine (played as recently as 2018 by Jamie Lee Curtis) who fights back.
In terms of pure adrenaline-filled cat and mouse games between an attacker and a woman in danger, Halloween set the bar for hundreds of films, with The Invisible Man being just the most recent. When treated with care, this can be a crucial scenario to depict, as it's all too prominent in society.
Through 2020 and 2021, Curtis is set to star in the 12th and 13th installments of the Halloween series. The franchise must be doing something right.
9 Panic Room
Tons of talent is on display in 2002's claustrophobic heist thriller Panic Room. Jodie Foster is at her best, so it's a bonus that the supporting cast includes Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, and ten-year-old Kristen Stewart. Not to be outdone, at one point, director David Fincher incredibly threads a camera shot through the handle of a coffee pot.
Panic Room takes place entirely within the realm of immediately-conceivable reality, making it a harsher watch than The Invisible Man. On display in both are resourceful and resilient women.
8 Widows
Steve McQueen followed up his Best Picture-winning 12 Years a Slave with a multi-year hiatus and then this much different female-driven action flick. Apparently the stars had been waiting in the wings because Widows is chock-loaded with big names.
Viola Davis sets the tone, red-hot (then and still) Daniel Kaluuya delivers one of his best performances, and Liam Neeson is involved in a plot development reminiscent of The Invisible Man.
Widows takes place in corruption-ridden Chicago during a local election and is "driven by grief and dread," according to New York Times critic A.O. Scott.
7 The Time Machine
The original The Invisible Man novel by H.G. Wells has spawned dozens of film and television adaptations prior to Leigh Wannell and Elizabeth Moss's 2020 film. Famously, his story The War of the Worlds, before being brought to life by Tom Cruise and company, was read so convincingly over the radio by Orson Welles that it caused very real hysteria.
Less notably adapted is The Time Machine, which follows Alexander Hartdegen as he travels through time in Wells's epic tale. The 2002 adaptation cast Guy Pearce in the lead role, who was a promising upstart around the turn of the century. If Pearce ever made his case as a full-fledged lead man, it was in this overlooked breezy sci-fi classic.
6 Split
For those who haven't seen Split, you may be (understandably) reacting to its positioning within a larger superhero-esque series. This James McAvoy-led screamer is a standalone, semi-sci-fi psychological romp accessible to anyone who has the guts for it.
With The Invisible Man, Split shares an interest in the dark side of science and exploration of the idea of malignant dominion over one's identity. As well as a healthy dose of dangerous encounters, of course.
5 Upgrade
If you've thoroughly enjoyed a movie from a director you had previously never heard of, watching their most recent work is almost always worthwhile. After all, Hollywood producers aren't handing out assignments based on laminated resumes and firm handshakes.
Leigh Wannell is no exception. Prior to The Invisible Man, he was tasked with a late Insidious installment and then Upgrade, a haunting tech story that plays like an extended Black Mirror episode. He is now slated to reboot Escape from New York. While minimal details are known, anyone who is familiar with the scale and cult following of the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell original will realize that somebody up there likes Wannell.
4 Gone Girl
Perhaps nobody has a better grasp on the contemporary thriller story than Gillian Flynn. Besides Widows, she's also the female voice behind Sharp Objects and Amazon's upcoming Utopia series.
While The Invisible Man has more state-of-the-art elements than the deceivingly sleepy Gone Girl, the films share poignant takes on domestic turmoil, revitalizing plot twists, and incredible female performances by the next decade's stars. Their contrasting pacings might also make for the perfect double-feature.
3 Changeling
Angelina Jolie may be one of the first names to come to mind when considering Hollywood royalty, yet, her name isn't associated with a famous film. Jolie has done decades of excellent work, for certain; it's just that she hasn't had her Erin Brockovich or Gladiator. Changeling should be that film. Although nominated for three Oscars, the challenging saga of a wronged woman was relatively overlooked.
Changeling's similarity to The Invisible Man is in its excruciating depiction of a woman who is not believed. The frustrating catch-22 leaves both protagonists in greater danger, as every bit of evidence presented for their unpopular causes puts them at even worse odds with their allies.
2 Hollow Man
The only other The Invisible Man adaptation on this list is the one that is closest in sensibility to 2020's offering. Paul Verhoeven's installment, which features an increasingly translucent Kevin Bacon, focuses similarly on the psychological and interpersonal possibilities of an invisible person, though not to quite as violent in effect as 2020's film.
Fred and George Weasley would perhaps solemnly swear that calling out specific H.G. Wells adaptations is too narrow an approach. What about an in-transit Wonder Woman...or Randall Boggs? Even James Bond was able to disappear with this questionable 2002 gadget.
1 Queen Of Earth
The most notable thing about The Invisible Man is that it is an Elizabeth Moss statement vehicle. She carries the multi-toned film, with many scenes requiring the actress to act by herself in front of the camera. If you're on board, seek out Queen of Earth for a similarly anxiety-inducing thriller with the very same strong lead.
Moss has collaborated with writer-director Alex Ross Perry on multiple projects. Will the pair of up-and-comers be anticipated storytellers for years to come? Hollywood's rampant record of beneficial friendships favors them. Before any of that, Moss is set to join a special mega cast in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch.
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