The Invisible Man

Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man is the smartest Universal Monster reboot anyone could have imagined — a film that transforms H.G. Wells' science fiction concept into a searing domestic abuse thriller. Elisabeth Moss gives a performance of such raw, cornered terror that the film works even when the invisible threat is purely psychological. Whannell's direction is brilliantly restrained: he holds on empty rooms, empty hallways, empty corners of the frame, forcing the audience to scan every shot for a threat that may or may not be there. The restaurant scene — where Cecilia appears to slash her own sister's throat — is a devastating turning point that isolates the protagonist from everyone who could help her. The film cost $7 million and grossed $143 million, single-handedly saving Universal's monster franchise by proving that small, smart, character-driven horror was the path forward.