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The Invisible Man (1933)

tomatometer

100

Average Rating: 8.4/10
Reviews Counted: 31
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 0

James Whale's classic The Invisible Man features still-sharp special effects, loads of tension, a goofy sense of humor, and a memorable debut from Claude Rains.

100

Average Rating: 8.2/10
Critic Reviews: 5
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 0

James Whale's classic The Invisible Man features still-sharp special effects, loads of tension, a goofy sense of humor, and a memorable debut from Claude Rains.

audience

79

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 9,228

My Rating

Movie Info

A mysterious stranger, his face swathed in bandages and his eyes obscured by dark spectacles, has taken a room at a cozy inn in the British village of Ipping. Never leaving his quarters, the stranger demands that the staff leave him completely alone. Working unmolested with his test tubes, the stranger does not notice when the landlady inadvertently walks into his room one morning. But she notices that her guest seemingly has no head! The stranger, one Jack Griffin, is a scientist, who'd left

Unrated, 1 hr. 12 min.

Horror, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

R.C. Sherriff

Aug 28, 2001

Realart Pictures Inc.

Cast

All Critics (31) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (0) | DVD (13)

In his first cinema role, which must have been easy for him to play since it amounts to very little more than an offstage noise, Claude Rains gives an alarming performance, almost as frightening when he is present as when he is not.

October 21, 2010 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The strangest character yet created by the screen [from the novel by H.G. Wells] roams through The Invisible Man.

November 6, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
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James Whale's 1933 film plays more like a British folk comedy than a horror movie; it's full of the same deft character twists that made his Bride of Frankenstein a classic.

June 4, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It is hardly necessary to dwell upon the performances of the cast beyond saying that they all rise to the demands of their parts. As for the settings, they seem very real, and the direction and acting of the uniformed police force are unusually good.

January 28, 2006 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
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The many special effects -- some retouched on film by hand -- are quaint by today's digital standards, but that only makes them all the more fun.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
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Rains, whose expressive gestures are also vital to his performance, recognised it as a career-making opportunity, a whole film that builds up to the revelation of his face.

October 14, 2011 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comment
Empire Magazine

Rains, with his silky, slightly superior-sounding voice, emerges as pathetic not grandiose, and the film clips along with boundless energy.

April 27, 2009 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

Rains, with his clear, sensitively inflected voice, was lucky: it made him a star.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Overacted but holds on pretty well though.

May 10, 2005 Comment

Terrific entry in the James Whale horror canon

December 28, 2004 Comment

The commentary is thorough, detailed and worth hearing all the way through, especially if you enjoy old-time monster movies.

November 17, 2004 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | Comment
Apollo Guide

Great black & white fantasy film.

October 24, 2003 Comment
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

By turns hilarious, haunting and horrific.

July 30, 2003 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Repleto de momentos deliciosamente bem-humorados (obra de James Whale), o filme tem bons efeitos visuais - mesmo para os padrões atuais - e uma performance marcante, mesmo que "invisível", de Claude Rains.

July 20, 2003 Comment
Cinema em Cena
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man based on the novel by H.G Wells is a stunning horror classic that is a benchmark in cinema. A brilliant film that has stunning special effects, considering that this was made in 1933. This is a brilliantly directed film. The cast here is terrific and they all deliver great performances. I especially

October 20, 2011
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

one of the best of the early universal monster films, the film is full of scientific and philosophical intrigue. there are many iconic images and interesting stunts and the story is as good as it gets. rains is great as always. a must see classic.

December 2, 2007
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

The Invisible Man Quotes

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Latest News for The Invisible Man

August 25, 2011:
David Goyer Discusses His Invisible Man
He compares it to "Sherlock Holmes" and "The Mummy."

November 29, 2009:
James Whale: Still Passing Strange
He was never entirely comfortable with his success as a director of horror films, but in spite of...

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Foreign Titles

  • The Invisible Man (1933) (DE)
  • The Invisible Man (1933) (UK)
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