The Invisible Man
1933 · Directed by James Whale
A scientist discovers invisibility and immediately loses his mind. Claude Rains spends 90% of the film as a disembodied voice and still gives the performance.
Why It's Cult
James Whale's Invisible Man is Universal Horror at peak craft — the 1933 effects are still convincing, and Claude Rains's voice work is one of the great film debuts. You can feel the DNA of every body-horror film since right here. Watch it as a triple with Whale's Frankenstein and Bride for maximum Whale.
The Plot, Officially
A mysterious man, whose head is completely covered in bandages, wants a room. The proprietors of the pub aren't used to making their house an inn during the winter months, but the man insists. They soon come to regret their decision. The man quickly runs out of money, and he has a violent temper besides. Worse still, he seems to be some kind of chemist and has filled his room with messy chemicals, test tubes, beakers and the like. When they try to throw him out, they make a ghastly discovery. Meanwhile, Flora Cranley appeals to her father to do something about the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Griffin, his assistant and her sweetheart. Her father's other assistant, the cowardly Dr. Kemp, is no help. He wants her for himself. Little does Flora guess that the wild tales, from newspapers and radio broadcasts, of an invisible homicidal maniac are stories of Dr. Griffin himself, who has discovered the secret of invisibility and gone mad in the process.
Starring
Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
