There’s little that can be scarier than the possibility of being trapped in a relationship with an abusive partner.

Here’s the scarier part – what if said partner is also invisible and dogging your every move with the intention to drive you mad?

You think you’re losing your mind and everyone agrees given your ranting about being followed by your invisible and abusive ex.

It is this premise that horror flim The Invisible Man follows, and thankfully executes well enough to make the audience grip the edge of their seats.

Based on the novel of the same name by HG Wells, this film was initially meant to be part of Universal Studios’ planned Dark Universe.

However, with “The Mummy” crashing despite Tom Cruise’s starring role, that planned cinematic universe has been shelved.

Johnny Depp was meant to be the lead in the cinematic universe, but given how things turned out, The Invisible Man ended up as a standalone production.

The Invisible man is based on a simple but brilliant premise

Helmed by Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man is a simple idea that is brilliantly brought to life by the performance of lead actress Elisabeth Moss.

Moss plays a battered and abused woman named Cecilia Kass who flees her violent narcissist of a partner.

After his supposed suicide, Kass begins to suspect that her tormenter is far from done with her and that someone or something is dogging her every move.

With few people believing her as things get stranger and more violent, Kass has to deal with a threat that she cannot even lay her eyes on.

Featuring many standout moments from this talented actress, Moss really puts in a performance that is believable and portrays a character who behaves realistically in a very unrealistic situation.

Given that most of her performance involves her reacting in terror at empty air, she certainly is carrying the film on her shoulders and she does this pretty well.

In addition, her portrayal of a traumatised abuse victim is heart wrenching, made all the more exciting when she finally makes a stand.

There are no flashbacks of her tumultuous past, and as it turns out, these are unnecessary as Moss projects her trauma well.

But horror movies cannot stand solely on an actor’s performance. So does The Invisible Man provide the necessary well-placed scares or does it over-rely on the clichéd jump scares?

Thankfully, it is the former, and the scares will catch you off-guard even though they are actually there, lurking in the background from the start.

They are unannounced, but when you finally do notice it in the background, you are taken aback completely.

This is not to say that there are no jump scares, but the ones that are there are well-executed.

One scene in particular that comes to mind is when Kass and the audience know that the Invisible Man is close by, watching but is himself unseen.

The fear is that the villain can be anywhere, even right in front of Kass but she is none the wiser.

And of course, given the premise of the plot, this film actually makes you afraid of what may not even be there.

The camera work that went into making this film plays a big role in this, as the camera slowly pans around empty rooms, and you remain unsure whether the titular character is lurking there in silence.

The way this film makes you afraid of empty space is impressive

Simple camera tricks like having the shot stay still while the character moves out of frame leaves you on edge expecting something to happen.

It is truly impressive how this film makes you afraid of empty spaces.

The film is a well-executed modern adaptation of Wells’ work, and it is clever indeed to redesign the villain as a narcissistic sociopath who watches his ex-partner’s every move.

Little can be more terrifying that the fact that someone who abused and controlled their partner now has every opportunity to hurt her and their loved ones again, purely out of spite.

Truly the worst nightmare of any abuse victim.

Without giving too much away, the film’s reason behind his invisibility is also a lot easier to digest than the original novel’s explanation.

After all, technology has advanced significantly enough for this explanation to be believable.

In short, The Invisible Man is an excellent thriller which will leave your heart in your throat as your fear of empty space grows with each camera shot.

The film keeps you tense throughout, while it paints a believable and sympathetic portrait of a woman struggling to escape her abusive relationship with her invisible tormentor following her.