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Surprise! It's The Invisible Man!

I meant to see this modern take on HG Wells' classic thriller last year. But you might guess why I didn't go. At least we have the film on streaming! So let's get to it!

Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) should be happy. She left her abusive scientist boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). A few weeks later, word comes that he killed himself. His will bequeaths her - in a backhanded contrite fashion - $5 million provided she stays sane and crime-free. Why would that be a problem?

Because it seems someone is following her and messing with her life. It's almost as if Adrian is haunting her from beyond the grave. Either that, or he's found a way to make himself invisible and is haunting her that way. That's what Cecilia figures out, and she's right. Even worse, Adrian's brother and executor, Tom (Michael Dorman), is in on the scheme. They're out to cut off Cecilia from the rest of the world. So it's up to Cecilia to expose them before she's stuck in solitary or with him.

Director and writer Leigh Whannell's screenplay draws as much from The Cat and The Canary as it does with the novel. That movie and play also had a woman stalked by a fiendish figure after she inherits money on the condition she's sane. It's just that it's not in a haunted house.

But anyway, this film gives us a strong story about a woman who stands up for herself. Moss as Cecilia is compelling as she deals with her invisible enemy. Her supporting cast, Harriet Dyer as her sister Alice, Aldis Hodge as her cop friend, James, and Storm Reid as his daughter, Sydney, are a nice bunch. Dorman as Tom was a convincing nice guy until he dropped the act. As for the villain himself, Jackson-Cohen as Adrian's presence is persistent even if his screen time is not.

It makes the most of its $7 million budget. For starters, there's Adrian's invisibility suit, which makes him look like a black golf ball. But that seemingly goofy design turns creepy when the suit glitches in and out of visibility. How did they do that? The complete invisibility effects were flawless. The cinematography and editing keep things tense even when there's nothing there. The spookiness is amplified by Benjamin Wallfisch's unnerving score and some equally creepy sound effects.

I'd tell you to see The Invisible Man, but you can't. So see the movie with his name instead. It's got sci-fi thrills and emotional chills in a 124 minute package. It's a marvel that it was made for such a low budget. See it wherever it's streaming legally for a memorable home matinee. There was one other film I wanted to see before things went haywire in March. That film is next: