The legacy of The Invisible Man is open-ended. The 1897 tale by HG Wells is a thrilling read, but its lasting impact is less as a story than a concept. Where the novella gave us an arrogant scientist roaming unseen across the Sussex downs after violent attacks on the locals, subsequent adaptations have repurposed the idea of invisibility for their own ends.
In Leigh Whannell’s 2020 screen version, the invisibility of Oliver Jackson-Cohen in the title role becomes a metaphor for his coercive control over Elisabeth Moss as his abused partner. Like many a gaslighter before him, he does not need to be seen to be obeyed.
