Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2020, but it’s proven to be one of the most successful of the many Invisible Man adaptations that have been made over the years.
Leigh Whannell brought horror back to The Invisible Man in a big way and reminded both viewers and critics alike that Universal’s Monsters are at their finest when they’re genuinely terrifying. Whannell’s film updates H.G. Wells’ source material in creative ways that aren’t only smart, but appropriately comment on modern times in a way that makes the story more important and powerful than ever before.
Whannell’s Invisible Man is anchored by an incredible performance by Elisabeth Moss. Until these two knocked it out of the park, the Invisible Man seemed like a bit of a cautionary property. The Invisible Man has a lengthy legacy, and there have been a number of efforts over the years to try and do something new with the idea, whether it fits into the horror, science fiction, or comedy genre. With the newest adaptation released, we look back at all the other Invisible Man adaptations, ranking them from worst to best.
16. Invisible Mom 2 (1999)
Invisible Mom 2 banks on the success of the first film and Dee Wallace’s commitment to the role. The focus this time is around a poor orphan child who finally finds a family and a sense of belonging, only to have it all threatened. Dee Wallace's character, the invisible mom, comes to the rescue and applies her unique skills to not only help out orphan Eddie, but also teach him about family. There's a good message here, but it recycles many ideas from the first movie.
15. Invisible Dad (1997)
Fred Olen Ray truly shows how versatile he is as a director as he shifts gears from Invisible Mom to Invisible Dad here. There's a pretty simple structure in place here when an eccentric father accidentally gets turned invisible and it's up to his son to help him get back to normal. There are some cute gags and it's a nice alternative to Invisible Mom, but hardly seems necessary. Plus, there's nothing original happening in this movie, even if it is harmless fun.
14. Invisible Mom (1996)
Another attempt at mixing invisibility with the comedy genre, Invisible Mom explores the chaos that a family encounters when the matriarch of the household accidentally consumes her inventor husband's invisibility formula. Dee Wallace has a lot of fun in the title role and the film's triumphs are largely due to the work that she does. This is the best of Fred Olen Ray's films that explore invisibility, but it's still a predictable, dispensable comedy, albeit one with heart.
13. The Invisible Kid (1988)
It's a little disappointing when a teen sex comedy completely misses the mark and wastes the talent involved, but such is the case with 1988's The Invisible Kid. The film features the standard invisibility potion, but in this case a dorky teen becomes invisible and just uses the ability to get revenge on his bullies and spy on the girls' change room. In that sense, The Invisible Kid may be a realistic representation of a teenager's run with invisibility, but it's a waste of a movie that’s light on laughs and chemistry.
12. The Amazing Transparent Man (1960)
When a movie gets featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 it's typically a sign that the movie isn't high art. However, considering that The Amazing Transparent Man was shot in under two weeks it's kind of a miracle that it's as decent as it is. The film is over the top in the best way possible and features a maniac who kidnaps scientists and prisoners to create an invisibility potion for him. He proceeds to use this to create an army of invisible soldiers that he can sell, but the formula has severe side effects that essentially make them invisible zombies. It’s a crazy plot, but it’s also just very dull a lot of the time.
11. Hollow Man 2 (2006)
Paul Verhoeven’s Hollow Man made enough of an impression on audiences that it was able to warrant a direct-to-video sequel, but Hollow Man 2 is really a follow-up in title, only. The film pivots to a new cast of characters and wildly different premise where invisibility becomes weaponized and used by the CIA on their super soldiers. Suddenly, when the health of one of their soldiers starts to deteriorate, he goes after the scientists that turned him into this monstrosity in the first place. It’s interesting to see the film become much more of an action endeavor than a psychosexual horror film, but that change doesn’t do Hollow Man 2 any favors. Impressively, Hollow Man 2 swaps its lead from Kevin Bacon to Christian Slater, who does a commendable job in this schlocky direct-to-video sequel, but it still mostly provides diminishing returns.
10. Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man is an exceptional letdown considering it’s John Carpenter’s take on the Invisible Man narrative. There are some fun special effects here, but this is much more a screwball comedy than a horror film (or even a sci-fi film). The movie stars Chevy Chase as an invisible man on the run from the CIA, but it feel more like a Chevy Chase comedy (and it could honestly be titled Fletch Disappears!) than it does a John Carpenter movie. That being said, there are some decent sight gags and creative takes on the Invisible Man concept that are featured in the movie.
9. The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
The Invisible Man's Revenge is technically still a part of the original Invisible Man series continuity. Since there are four films that precede this one, there are definitely less ideas to play around with, but the film still comes up with an interesting morality tale. This time a scientist helps a fugitive on his mission to evade the law by turning him invisible. However, he quickly runs mad with power and uses his new skills to execute those who have wronged him.
8. Invisible Agent (1942)
Invisible Agent is a very unusual sequel to the original film. Frank Raymond, the grandson of the original Invisible Man, decides to use his ancestor's formula to become invisible to help in the war effort. Invisible Agent combines invisibility with wartime espionage and screwball comedy in a strange story that somehow puts the Invisible Man on the search for Hitler's secrets.
