Movies

‘The Invisible Man’ Franchise, Ranked

‘The Invisible Man’ franchise is unlike any other monster in Universal’s vault.
The Invisible Man Screenshot
Universal Pictures
By  · Published on February 28th, 2020

4. The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

Say goodbye to Claude Rains, and hello to Vincent Price. The Invisible Man Returns lacks the manic frenzy of the original film and does not dare allow its protagonist to sink to the savage depths of the previous weirdo “hero.” As such, the film feels safe and without much dread. On the other hand, the sadness of the main character’s plight is increased drastically as the world seems to operate against him at every turn.

Price is Sir Geoffery Radcliffe, a wrongfully accused murderer, awaiting the day in which he’ll hang. Frank Griffin (John Sutton) — now the brother of the original Invisible Man (hey, they just love the name) — gains access to Radcliffe’s prison cell and injects him with the invisibility formula. On the run from the law, Radcliffe must clear his name and reunite with his fiancee. Spoilers: at one point, Radcliffe is cured of his unique condition, and the effect in which he reappears first as his nervous system, then as his musculature, is astonishing. The special effects work would receive an Oscar nomination for John P. Fulton, Bernard B. Brown, and William Hedgecock but would lose to The Thief of Baghdad. I would cry, “blasphemy,” but the best film won. Still, F/X hounds gotta check this one out.


3. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)

When it comes to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello movies, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is the undisputed champ. Facts are facts. On the other hand, Abbot and Costello Meet the Invisible Man is still a damn fine example of what separates the dynamic duo from the rest of the acts of this era. They manage to unleash one inventive goofy gag after another without ever betraying the spirit of the material they’re lampooning; in this case, H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, or at least’s its cinematic adaptation.

Abbott and Costello are a pair of private detectives looking to prove themselves. Along comes Tommy Nelson (Arthur Franz), a young middleweight boxer accused of murdering his manager. The kid is on the lam, and he asks the two dicks to watch his back while he reunites with his fiance (Nancy Guild). Her uncle convinces Tommy to test out his invisibility formula, brewed from the chemical blueprint of the first Invisible Man. Together, the three men infiltrate the corrupt world of sports and dole out justice via hijinks.


2. The Invisible Man (1933)

The first 20 minutes or so of this film is non-stop screaming. They’re the kind of wails that pierce and could easily steer you to snapping the STOP button on your remote. Keep going. The Invisible Man is an incredibly weird entry in the Universal Monsters filmography. He’s not a misunderstood monster or some demonic predator who requires human blood for survival. He’s just a man and a real scumbag at that.

Claude Rains rules as the twisted scientist losing himself to rage as his image fades from the mirror. He leans in on his superpower, delighting on the pranks suddenly accessible to him and the wide array of possible torments. The humans that surround him are dumb fools who deserve his disgust. His dying words — “I meddled in things man must leave alone” — betray the life he led. He loved being the cretin he was, and we should all fear the similar beast that lives in us.


1. The Invisible Man (2020)

Look, this may be recency bias, I dunno. I’m a little in awe of what Leigh Whannell captured here. The Invisible Man of 2020 is indeed a monster that can stand next to Dracula. Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohn) is a psychopathic brute who uses his terrifying intelligence to control those around him, most notably his girlfriend Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss). He’s as much a bloodsucker as any vampire bat, and the only cure for his kind is a stake through the heart.

In a genre that too often fetishizes the monsters under the bed, Whannell’s Invisible Man ultimately exposes the creature as not the narrative’s center, but it’s rightful boogeyman destined to be conquered and banished to the shadows. There is no empathy for this beast here. Cecilia is the champion. Give her your franchise.

Pages: 1 2

Related Topics: , , ,

Brad Gullickson is a Weekly Columnist for Film School Rejects and Senior Curator for One Perfect Shot. When not rambling about movies here, he's rambling about comics as the co-host of Comic Book Couples Counseling. Hunt him down on Twitter: @MouthDork. (He/Him)