**WARNING: This piece contains SPOILERS**
I won't necessarily add anything new to the parade of praises that The Invisible Man has received in the first week of its release. It's undoubtedly the first big pleasant surprise of 2020. There are so many layers to touch on this film, a reason for which this particular post is born. I'm touching on the aspect of walking (rather, RUNNING) away from a toxic relationship, portrayed beautifully by Elisabeth Moss.
This isn't a new discovery. The film is centered around the main character in Cecilia (Moss) who leaves her boyfriend in what seems to be a desperate attempt to get away from a situation that took a toll on her both physically and mentally. In response, the former boyfriend Adrian takes it upon him to use his genius and inventive ways to torment Cecilia, namely turn himself invisible after faking his death and making life impossible for Cecilia.
This is where I keep saying this movie was an aggravating watch (in a good way). Obviously, you root for Cecilia, because as a decent human being, you're going to support the courage of someone who left such a vitriolic situation. The title character used his power to torment his ex-girlfriend, by terrorizing her daily life, already sickened mentally by his abuse. Now, this film depicted the struggles of that woman in the aftermath of leaving the abusive relationship. Granted, it's an extreme and symbolic depiction of said struggles; using a horror story to present it to us on the big screen. Back to "aggravating", director Leigh Whannell presented a vision that makes us all see what Cecilia was going through. You get invested in her situation and want so badly for her to be free. And you grind your emotions through insurmountable situations the invisible boyfriend gets her in: getting kicked out of her friend's house, nobody believing her, killing her sister and making it seem like it was her, resulting in her getting locked in a mental institute.
In the end, you're left satisfied, but still shaky. Cecilia was able to scratch and claw her way out, eventually killing him and getting away with it, just like he did. However, it raises some thoughts. For every person who gets out of an abusive relationship and frees themselves from it, there are much more still struggling and, in many cases, trapped in the haunting of it. I think this is something the film makes us all aware of and it's a very important issue. The Adrian character represents that unquestioned power by a wealthy man oozing in toxic masculinity. He can do no wrong. Cecilia "would be crazy to leave him". Like Adrian, men like him go to extremes after being rejected because those men are not used to not getting their way. It goes to show you, no amount of money and power in the world can buy you a shred of decency.
Here's to all the Cecilias in the world, and may you all be free of your Adrians.
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