---
title: "The Invisible Man: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-invisible-man/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-invisible-man"
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 29
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Invisible Man (2020): what the critics said

Critics' score 72 from 29 reviews: 22 positive, 3 mixed, 4 negative.

Most critics come away rattled and impressed. The reviews are broadly positive, and the praise lands in two places: Elisabeth Moss, whose performance as Cecilia is singled out almost without exception for making her fear feel immediate and her resourcefulness credible, and Whannell’s direction, which builds dread from empty rooms, silence and a camera that lingers where nothing appears to be. Many also credit the film for turning H.G. Wells’s premise into a story about domestic abuse and disbelief.

The reservations cluster in the second half. Several critics find the plot develops holes, the final third runs long and the climax lands weakly. The dissenters go further: Slant Magazine and Polygon argue the film treats Cecilia’s trauma as a plot device rather than a subject, The New Yorker finds the direction thin and the ideas undeveloped, and IndieWire calls it muddled. The spread is wide at the bottom, but the bulk of the reviews sit comfortably in approval.

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 26 February 2020. 

Chang finds the film an intimate, expertly crafted and unsettling horror thriller that resonates with contemporary fears about abuse and disbelief. He especially praises Elisabeth Moss’s performance, whose quiet expressions of terror make Cecilia’s experience feel immediate.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-26/invisible-man-review-elisabeth-moss)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Rating Critics Pick. 24 February 2020. 

Gleiberman calls the film an ingenious, entertaining thriller with emotional force. He particularly praises Elisabeth Moss’s portrayal of a woman whose abuse goes unseen and disbelieved.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/the-invisible-man-review-elisabeth-moss-1203512835/)

## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger

Rating B+. 25 February 2020. 

Hassenger finds the film striking and tense, though not especially rich. He praises Elisabeth Moss’s performance for combining vulnerability with resourcefulness and making Cecilia’s perspective compelling.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-new-version-of-the-invisible-man-makes-one-of-his-vic-1841840293)

## Empire — John Nugent

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2020. 

The review finds the film tense, thematically rich and a bold, fresh reinvention, though it becomes more conventional as it progresses. It praises Elisabeth Moss’s performance and Whannell’s restrained use of camera movements to build dread.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-invisible-man/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Rating 4/5. 27 February 2020. 

O'Sullivan finds the film a timely, effective monster movie, though its plot holes and cheesy ending weaken it. She especially praises the clever camera-work and Elisabeth Moss's performance.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-invisible-man-review-a-monster-movie-just-right-for-2020-a4373446.html)

## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong

Rating 3/4/3. 26 February 2020. 

Strong finds the film an inventive, satisfying horror that updates its source material effectively, though its plot develops cracks on reflection. She praises Elisabeth Moss’s performance and the film’s technical craft, especially its use of empty space and sound to create tension.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-invisible-man)

## Radio Times — Huw Fullerton

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2020. 

The headline presents the film as something that has to be seen to be believed. The description praises it as a confident retelling, though the article body is unavailable.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-invisible-man-review/)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 4/5. 24 February 2020. 

The critic presents the film as a timely reimagining of H.G. Wells’s story. They single out Elisabeth Moss’s battle against toxic masculinity as its central strength.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-invisible-man-1)

## Total Film — Kevin Harley

Rating 4/5. 25 February 2020. 

Harley finds the film a taut, effective suspense exercise that gives Universal’s monster films fresh life, despite some second-half missteps. He especially praises Elisabeth Moss’s intense performance and the film’s carefully controlled scares.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-invisible-man-review/)

## The Guardian — Simran Hans

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 February 2020. 

Hans finds the update gripping and smart, praising its shift of perspective toward Cecilia and the way it foregrounds women’s concerns. She singles out Elisabeth Moss’s convincing performance and Whannell’s Hitchcockian styling.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/29/the-invisible-man-film-review)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2020. 

The review is positive about this outlandish horror film. It singles out Elisabeth Moss’s performance for grounding the story.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-invisible-man-review/5147564.article)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2020. 

McCarthy finds it an effective, promising revival of Universal’s monster films, though the conceit stretches somewhat near the end. He especially praises Elisabeth Moss’s resourceful lead performance and Whannell’s careful tension-building.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/invisible-man-review-1280919/)

## Vulture — Alison Willmore

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 February 2020. 

Willmore finds the film’s concept stronger than its execution, but considers it worthwhile overall. She singles out Elisabeth Moss’s deeply committed performance for holding the film together.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2020/02/the-invisible-man-movie-review.html)

## Film Comment — Madeline Whittle

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The excerpt identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It singles out the update’s liberation of the monster from the old Universal antihero’s moral ambivalence.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-the-invisible-man/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. Its praise or complaints cannot be verified from the material provided.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-invisible-man-movie-review-2020)

## IndieWire — Jude Dry

Rating D+. 25 February 2020. 

Dry finds the film a muddled, limp thriller that fails to deliver effective horror. She singles out the early kitchen scene’s subtle visual tension as its most interesting cinematic choice.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-invisible-man-review-elisabeth-moss-1202213230/)

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Rating 1.5/4. 25 February 2020. 

Gonzalez argues that the film’s style and suspense come at the expense of meaningfully engaging with abuse. He praises Elisabeth Moss’s performance and the tense craftsmanship, while faulting the film for reducing Cecilia’s trauma to a plot device.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-invisible-man-review-leigh-whannell/)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 27 February 2020. 

Brody finds the film’s clever twists and thrills pleasurable but undermined by thin characterization and textureless direction. He praises Elisabeth Moss’s resonant performance while faulting the film for leaving its promising ideas undeveloped.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-invisible-man-reviewed-a-horror-film-of-diabolical-twists-and-empty-showmanship)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 26 February 2020. 

Goldberg finds the film nerve-racking, haunting, and thoughtful rather than a fun horror movie. He especially praises Elisabeth Moss’s performance and Whannell’s use of invisibility to convey the terror of domestic abuse.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-invisible-man-review-elisabeth-moss-leigh-whannell/)

## The Wrap — William Bibbiani

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2020. 

The critic calls the film an expertly told, terrifying reboot that turns an abusive relationship into effective horror. They especially praise Elisabeth Moss’s bravura performance and the unnerving camerawork that makes the invisible threat felt.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-invisible-man-film-review-2020-elisabeth-moss/)

## /Film — Chris Evangelista

Rating 8.5/10. 25 February 2020. 

The critic finds the film a timely, intensely effective horror update. They praise Elisabeth Moss’s fierce performance and the suspense built through patient scenes, sound design, and score.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/572494/sf-the-invisible-man-review/)

## Paste — Dom Sinacola

Rating 7.5. 27 February 2020. 

Sinacola finds the film bleak, tense, and highly effective as a horror story. He praises its carefully composed frames and Elisabeth Moss’s balanced, powerful performance.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/leigh-whannell/the-invisible-man-review)

## Consequence — Allison Shoemaker

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 February 2020. 

The critic finds the film a bracing, frightening horror story whose flaws are worth overlooking. She especially praises Elisabeth Moss’s towering performance and the tense camerawork that keeps viewers scanning the frame.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2020/02/film-review-the-invisible-man/)

## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher

Rating 4/5. 27 February 2020. 

Fletcher calls the film a fresh, scary, and effective success. She praises Elisabeth Moss’s believable performance and the film’s ability to deliver startling shock scares.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-invisible-man-review-well-worth-seeing/)

## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2020. 

Wilkinson finds the film an enjoyably tense and effective modern adaptation. She praises the crafty camerawork, which makes empty spaces feel threatening, and Elisabeth Moss’s portrayal of Cecilia’s fear and resilience.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-invisible-man-2020-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## HeyUGuys

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film a bold, thrilling addition to horror, though not as evocative as Jordan Peele’s work. They praise its patient focus on Cecilia and its unsettling use of silence and empty space.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-invisible-man-review/)

## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2020. 

Sandwell finds the film a tense, chilling reinvention that delivers effective horror, despite an overlong and convoluted final third. He especially praises Elisabeth Moss’s committed performance and Whannell’s suspenseful use of ordinary spaces to create fear.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a30978359/invisible-man-review-2020/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film an entertaining, suspenseful thriller that loses much of its scare factor once the monster is revealed. They praise Elisabeth Moss’s performance and the film’s absorbing premise, while faulting its later scares and disappointing climax.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-invisible-man-review-2614534)

## Polygon — Jenna Stoeber

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2020. 

The critic finds the film’s scares effective but says its plotting and treatment of domestic abuse undermine the story. She especially praises the tense scenes built around apparently empty rooms.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/28/21154461/invisible-man-review-movie-elisabeth-moss-blumhouse-saw-leigh-whannell/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-invisible-man.md