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| Scene from The Invisible Man (2020) |
Welcome to the sporadic column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Leigh Whannell
Written By: H.G. Wells (Novel), Leigh Whannell
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge
- Preamble -
In a world of cinematic universes, there have been none with the reputation quite like The Dark Universe. It has become a punchline of epic proportions in recent years in large part because of the build-up to what was promised to be the new world of Gods and Monsters. It was going to feature so many high-end actors bringing to life Universal Horror icons for a new generation. It wasn't a terrible concept, but the choice to boldly declare the marketing strategy far in advance and without any sign that people wanted to be said universe resulted in something they didn't want: skepticism. If they were successful, it would've been the greatest marketing decision in history. If it wasn't, then they were doomed to be the definition of why you don't announce a cinematic universe before there is a framework that people can get on board with.
That is why The Mummy from 2017 has become a fascinating artifact. Not only was its campaign mocked, but the film was considered to be among the worst career decisions by the beloved Tom Cruise. The framework was in the film, but it ended up distracting from the plot as side stories butted in to establish a world that nobody yet cared about. It was so crowded, assured of its own success, that when things folded a little under a year later, it was the most logical decision for the box office bomb. It wasn't the dawn of a new era. It was the sunset on a bad idea.
This is why the decision for Universal to announce a new adaptation of The Invisible Man almost two years to the date of the announced cancellation of The Dark Universe is a bit comical. It's doubtful that this is part of the universe, though one could imagine Blumhouse's control over the brand reinventing a Dark Universe-like world that works a lot better. It seems bold to start with one of the lesser characters if that's true, but otherwise, it seems promising to cast Elisabeth Moss in a lead role and present a story that's straight-up horror in all of the best ways possible. Gone are the expectations of the 2017 franchise, and it's likely that none of those faces will appear here. Still, one has to wonder if they have learned their lesson this time around.
As a character, The Invisible Man is an intriguing force for a film. It's more of a chance for the supporting team to make a film that is full of technical ingenuity and performances that challenge them to see what can't be seen. So much of the film is reliant on a cast game enough for this weird concept, and Blumhouse has proven themselves capable of making those into genuine crowd-pleasing hits with Happy Death Day and Halloween in recent years. One can imagine that the same will be true here as well. Though will it be enough to separate astigmatism from The Dark Universe? Only time will tell.
That is why The Mummy from 2017 has become a fascinating artifact. Not only was its campaign mocked, but the film was considered to be among the worst career decisions by the beloved Tom Cruise. The framework was in the film, but it ended up distracting from the plot as side stories butted in to establish a world that nobody yet cared about. It was so crowded, assured of its own success, that when things folded a little under a year later, it was the most logical decision for the box office bomb. It wasn't the dawn of a new era. It was the sunset on a bad idea.
This is why the decision for Universal to announce a new adaptation of The Invisible Man almost two years to the date of the announced cancellation of The Dark Universe is a bit comical. It's doubtful that this is part of the universe, though one could imagine Blumhouse's control over the brand reinventing a Dark Universe-like world that works a lot better. It seems bold to start with one of the lesser characters if that's true, but otherwise, it seems promising to cast Elisabeth Moss in a lead role and present a story that's straight-up horror in all of the best ways possible. Gone are the expectations of the 2017 franchise, and it's likely that none of those faces will appear here. Still, one has to wonder if they have learned their lesson this time around.
As a character, The Invisible Man is an intriguing force for a film. It's more of a chance for the supporting team to make a film that is full of technical ingenuity and performances that challenge them to see what can't be seen. So much of the film is reliant on a cast game enough for this weird concept, and Blumhouse has proven themselves capable of making those into genuine crowd-pleasing hits with Happy Death Day and Halloween in recent years. One can imagine that the same will be true here as well. Though will it be enough to separate astigmatism from The Dark Universe? Only time will tell.
- Dissection -
On the bright side, this seems like a halfway decent horror movie. While one can accuse the film of tying into a visceral nature that is stock and cheesy, what is on screen has an energy to it that makes one curious to see if Moss is truly crazy, or if anyone will find out where the invisible man is hiding. There are so many moments of peril here that just work at conveying an excitement around the story. It even has a weird decision to shoot someone in a kneecap, which if that isn't a bold statement for how dark this film will be, then I don't know what is. It does so much with invisible space, and that may be enough to make it work.
Then again, it helps that Moss is the lead. For those who don't know, she has gained a reputation in the film for making crazy decisions. All you have to do is look at 2019's Us and Her Smell, which capture her giving in to her wild impulses in shameless ways. When she has to fight an invisible force, it seems like she is giving her all to convince everyone that there is an invisible man chasing her. It's the type of protagonist that you'd want for a story like this. She sells the craziness because of how her eyes feel worn from staring at corners, using her tinfoil hat-style paranoia to make the audience join in with her. There's so much that works in just the way she talks about the situation.
It also helps that there's a sense of purpose to the story writ large. There's an emotional core going on with Moss having a tense relationship to the invisible man that would haunt her. It gives the visceral action something to work with and maybe will provide a deeper substance further into the film. Right now it seems like your typical horror film full of jump scares and disturbing imagery. However, one has to wonder if the mix of Blumhouse, Moss, and a story about how hard it is to get rid of your past transgressions will actually resonate to make it something greater. Only time will tell.
- One Sentence Sell -
The Invisible Man is back to annoy Elisabeth Moss in a tense film about trying to let go of your past.
- Trove or Trash -
TROVE
While it doesn't quite escape the schlock factor, it does enough to suggest that the film could be fun, tense, and full of memorable enough moments. Also, Moss is a capable actress who would elevate this material into something exciting, provided the script is up to her standards.
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