The film follows a woman who escapes the clutches of her abusive boyfriend, who is an optics genius, as she learned that he killed himself only to suspect that he faked his death by becoming invisible and stalking her. It’s a film that has a simple premise that play more into a woman who had been a troubled and abusive relationship with this rich yet unstable optics inventor as she stays at the home of a longtime friend and his daughter to hide out. Leigh Whannell’s screenplay doesn’t just play into this woman attempting to start a new life but is disrupted by someone that she believes had faked his suicide and is trying to stalk her as well as go after those she care about. Even as those who care about her question her mental state as it play into the idea of whether this man is really there or is she really crazy though Whannell does reveal little by little that this man is stalking her after all.
Whannell’s direction has elements of style in its presentation while he does maintain something straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates. Shot largely on location in Sydney, Australia as San Francisco with additional shots in Toronto, Whannell play into this world where this man is rich and powerful but also narcissistic and controlling where his girlfriend Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) wants out. Whannell’s usage of wide shots don’t just play into the locations but also this idea that Cecilia is being watched by her former boyfriend in Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Whannell’s wide and medium shots doesn’t just allow the scope of the room but allows the camera to see from Adrian’s point of view as if he’s really stalking her. There are also shots that’s shown from Cecilia’s perspective as if she is aware of his presence as it adds to the intrigue and suspense.
Since the film is about an invisible man stalking his ex-girlfriend, Whannell does manage to maintain that illusion in the way his actors move on set as if they are being pulled by some invisible force. The usage of the wide and medium shots as well as shooting some of these moments in one entire take in a few long shots add to the suspense and terror where Whannell knows what to show and what not to show. Even as it would intensify in its third act during a sequence where Cecilia tries to trap Adrian and reveals what she had recently discovered. Even as its climax is filled with twists and turns yet it also play into how much Cecilia knows Adrian and what he can do to make her life a living hell. Even in trying to destroy the relationships with the people she care about as they’re involved in the climax as well as what Cecilia has to do with the stakes raised even more by Adrian’s actions. Overall, Whannell crafts a riveting and compelling film about a woman dealing with her ex-boyfriend who fakes his death to be invisible.
Cinematographer Stefan Duscio, with additional work from Daniel Grant, does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as it help maintain the eerie atmosphere of the film. Editor Andy Canny does excellent work with the editing as it does have some style in its approach to suspense but knows when not to cut in order to play into the horror as it relates to Adrian. Production designer Alex Holmes, with set decorators Katie Sharrock and Ken Sinclair plus art directors Darshankumar Joshi and Alice Lanagan, does fantastic work with the look of the home of one of Cecilia’s friend as well as the mansion that Adrian lived in. Costume designers Adam Johansen, Damian Martin, and Emily Seresin do fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in some of the casual look of the cast with a few designer dresses that Cecilia wear yet it is the design of the invisible suit that is a highlight of the film.
Hair/makeup designer Angela Conte do terrific work with look of the characters as it is largely straightforward with the exception in some of the look of Adrian when he’s invisible whenever something drops on him. Special effects supervisor Dan Oliver and visual effects supervisor Jonathan Dearing do incredible work with the effects in the way the suit is presented at times as well as in some of the stunt work that occurs in the film. Sound editors Will Files and P.K. Hooker, along with co-sound designer Chris Terhune, do superb work with the sound as it help play with the atmosphere in some of the places that Cecilia goes including some sparse texture that add to eerie atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Benjamin Wallfisch is marvelous for its mixture of low-key orchestral flourishes with some electronic pieces to help set the mood but also to appear when the time is right as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Nikki Barrett, Sarah Doemier Lindo, and Terri Taylor is wonderful as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Benedict Hardie as an architect interviewing Cecilia for a job, Anthony Brandon Wong as a man injured in a car accident, Nash Edgerton as a security guard, and Sam Smith as a detective interrogating Cecilia following a troubling event. Michael Dorman is superb as Adrian’s younger brother Tom as an attorney who handles his brother’s estate but is aware that Adrian is a control freak but also questions Cecilia about her mental state. Harriet Dyer is fantastic as Cecilia’s older sister Emily who is protective towards Cecilia but also begins to question her sister following some troubling emails. Storm Reid is fantastic as James’ teenage daughter Sydney as a young woman that Cecilia cares about and is willing to spend her inheritance for Sydney who also is aware that something isn’t right relating to who might be in the house.
Aldis Hodge is excellent as James Lanier as a longtime friend of Cecilia who lets her live in his home as he’s also a detective as he wonders about what is going and eventually realizes that Cecilia might be telling the truth about Adrian. Oliver Jackson-Cohen is brilliant in his brief role as Adrian Griffin as this unstable and controlling tech genius who is trying to keep Cecilia in his life though he maintains this ambiguity whether or not he is the invisible man. Finally, there’s Elisabeth Moss in a phenomenal performance as Cecilia Kass as a woman who is troubled by her relationship with Adrian as she tries to move on as she believes she is being stalked while is doing what she can to discover the truth where Moss brings that emotional anguish of a woman in a troubled relationship but also in the physicality in which she has to face him off in that invisible suit he possibly created.
The Invisible Man is an incredible film from Leigh Whannell that features a tremendous leading performance from Elisabeth Moss. Along with its ensemble cast, inventive approach to suspense, crafty visual effects, and its eerie in its direction. The film is definitely a rapturous take on the H.G. Wells novel but also adding new elements that gives the story a new edge. In the end, The Invisible Man is a sensational film from Leigh Whannell.
Related: The Invisible Man (1933 film)
Leigh Whannell Films: (Insidious Chapter 3) – Upgrade
© thevoid99 2020
Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, Upgrade is the story of a technophobe who barely survives a mugging as he’s implanted a chip into his body in an act of revenge and terror. The film is a revenge film of sorts of a man whose aversion to technology forces him to use it to get what he wants as well as make things right in the modern world. Starring Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, and Harrison Gilbertson. Upgrade is a riveting and exhilarating film from Leigh Whannell.
Set in a futuristic world where technology does a lot for civilization, the film revolves around a technophobic man who survived a car accident and a mugging that left his wife dead as he is given a new chip into his body where the chip gives the ability move again but also to kill those who killed his wife. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it plays into a man who has no interest in technology in favor of doing things by hand as he finds himself conversing with the microchip inside his body as it repaired his paralysis yet it would also help him deal with the people who killed his wife. Leigh Whannell’s screenplay follows the trials and tribulations that Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) endures as he is someone not in tune with modern technology and the modern world as he would finish building a car for a young yet reclusive tech genius in Eron Keen (Harold Gilbertson) who has created a microchip that is used for multiple purposes as Trace and his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) witness.
Yet, due to their car malfunctioning that lead to them being mugged and Asha killed. Keen offers Trace the chance to walk and have movement in his body in total secrecy from the police and many others. Trace is excited about having to move his body again but hearing the voice of the chip known as STEM (voice of Simon Maiden) who would help Trace find out what is going on but also give him the ability to find out what happened on that night.
Whannell’s direction is stylish as it is shot on location in Melbourne, Australia as this futuristic city of sorts to play into a world where technology runs the world as people have the cars do the driving for them as well as do all sorts of things though there’s some that prefer to do everything themselves. Whannell showcases a world where it does feel futuristic but not everyone wants to change with the times as Trace is someone that isn’t fond of technology despite being surrounded by it in his home as much of the presentation of the dramatic and character-building moments are shown in a simple manner of medium shots and close-ups. There are wide shots to help establish the locations as well as to showcase the world that Trace encounters including Keen’s secretive home and Trace’s own home. Whannell’s approach to the action and suspense does have elements of style that has Trace move as if he is a robot whenever he’s being threatened. The way the camera moves add to the robotic tone of the film while it also doesn’t shy into the extremity of the violence.
Whannell also create some unique tracking shots with the Steadicam for a chase scene involving Trace and a man who was involved in the mugging. Whannell’s direction does go into great care of the suspense while it also dwells into the realm of body horror as its third act is about Trace and STEM as well as some eerie discoveries over the latter’s creation just as some of their actions get the attention of Detective Cortez (Betty Gabriel) who is concerned about Trace as well as what is actually happening. Whannell would create a twist in the story that plays more into what Keen has created and the dangers that he brought to Trace as it all relates to Trace’s disdain for technology. Overall, Whannell crafts a thrilling and gripping film about a technophobe who is given a computer chip that allows his paralyzed body to seek revenge on the men who killed his wife.
Cinematographer Stefan Duscio does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on stylish low-key lighting for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night with not a lot of bright lights for the scenes set in the day. Editor Andy Canny does terrific work with the editing as it has some stylish cuts to play into the action while not deviating into the style of chaotic-speed cutting in order to make sense of what is happening. Production designer Felicity Abbott, along with set decorator Katie Sharrock and art director Mandi Bialek-Wester, does brilliant work with the look of the homes of the characters as well as the design of some of the futuristic gadgets that people use. Costume designer Maria Pattison does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with the exception of Keen who wears more fashionably posh clothing.
Hair/makeup designer Chiara Tripodi does fantastic work with the look of a few characters as it play into an array of different hairstyles and tattoos some of the characters that Trace meets wears. Special effects supervisor Angelo Sahin and visual effects supervisor Jonathan Dearing do incredible work with the visual effects from the design of the police drones as well as some of the tech that is used at home. Sound designer P.K. Hooker does superb work with the sound effects in the way some of the technology sounds as well as the sound of weapons some of the bad guys have in them. The film’s music by Jed Palmer is amazing for its brooding and pulsating electronic-based score as it help play into the suspense as well as the action sequences in the film while music supervisor Jemma Burns creates a soundtrack that consists of a couple of electronic cuts by Kollaps and a blues song by Howlin’ Wolf in the film’s opening scene.
The casting by Nikki Barrett and Terri Taylor is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Richard Crawthorne as a criminal in Serk Brantner, Kai Bradley as a hacker named Jamie, Christopher Kirby and Clayton Jacobson as a couple of thugs in Tolan and Manny respectively, Linda Cropper as Trace’s mother, and Melanie Vallejo in a terrific performance as Trace’s wife Asha who becomes the motive for Trace’s vengeance. Benedict Hardie is fantastic as Serk’s brother Fisk as a mysterious criminal who carries secret weapons in his body as it play into intrigue over why Asha was killed. Harrison Gilbertson is excellent as the young yet reclusive tech genius Eron Keen as a man who has created a chip that he believes will change everything while offering to help Trace in repairing his paralyzed body unaware of the chip’s unlimited potential.
The voice of Simon Maiden as STEM is brilliant as he displays some life into this computer chip that is allowed to do many things including getting Trace to walk and move again while offering advice of what to do and such as it’s a complex voice performance from Maiden who manages to bring a lot of depth into a tiny chip. Betty Gabriel is amazing as Detective Cortez as a homicide detective investigating what happened to Trace and his wife as she also suspects about something off as it relates to some recent criminal activities as she’s kind of the film’s conscience. Finally, there’s Logan Marshall-Green in an incredible performance as Grey Trace as a mechanic who isn’t fond of modern technology as he becomes paralyzed following a mugging and the murder of his wife as he is given a chip that allows his body to move again where Marshall-Green displays the air of loss and confusion that he endures as a chip controls his movements as he also copes with some of the things he does as it a career-defining performance for Marshall-Green.
Upgrade is a remarkable film from Leigh Whannell that features a great leading performance from Logan Marshall-Green. Along with its stylish visuals, futuristic setting, themes on the dangers of technology and artificial intelligence, and a chilling electronic music score. The film is a crafty genre-bender that offers a lot of action, terror, and suspense while exploring a man trying to get revenge for what happened to him and his wife. In the end, Upgrade is a marvelous film from Leigh Whannell.
Leigh Whannell Films: (Insidious: Chapter 3) – The Invisible Man (2020 film)
© thevoid99 2020
