Elisabeth Moss on how The Invisible Man deals with the horror of abuse

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The power of invisibility would be mighty compelling, but the silver-screen has shown us again and again just how its power corrupts; of course, it probably helps if you're already a megalomaniac. Leigh Whannell's (UPGRADE) upcoming reboot of THE INVISIBLE MAN stars Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) as Cecilia Kass, a woman who is trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After escaping with the help of her sister (Harriet Dyer), their childhood friend (Aldis Hodge), and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid), Cecilia learns that her ex has killed himself, but she soon begins to suspect that his death was a hoax when a series of eerie coincidences threatens the lives of those she loves.

While speaking with Empire, Elisabeth Moss spoke of how THE INVISIBLE MAN deals with the real-life horrors of abuse.

You literally have a man who is invisible, you can’t see him, she’s saying he’s there, that he’s attacking her, abusing her, manipulating her, and everyone around her is saying, ‘Relax. It’s fine.’ And she keeps saying, ‘No, he is – he’s alive, he’s doing this,’ and no-one believes her. The analogy is incredibly clear.

"I’ve had quite a bit of experience playing characters who are dealing with various types of abuse," Moss explained. "Whether it’s emotional, physical, sexual, it’s something that I’ve dived into quite a bit. So I was able to bring that knowledge to the role."

The official synopsis for THE INVISIBLE MAN:

What you can’t see can hurt you. Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss (Us, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale) stars in a terrifying modern tale of obsession inspired by Universal’s classic monster character.

Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Moss) escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister (Harriet Dyer, NBC’s The InBetween), their childhood friend (Aldis Hodge, Straight Outta Compton) and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid, HBO’s Euphoria).

But when Cecilia’s abusive ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House) commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia’s sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

THE INVISIBLE MAN is set to appear in theaters on February 28, 2020.