Hollow Man marked acclaimed filmmaker Paul Verhoeven’s jump into the horror genre with an effects-heavy update to H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, but the adaptation falls short in many respects.

All of the classical creatures from the stable of Universal Monsters have set strong templates for each of their respective characters. The original films from the black-and-white era are still looked at in high regard, but there have also been plenty of creative, ambitious remakes that range from Oscar-winning feature films like The Shape of Water to fun B-movies like Verhoeven’s Hollow Man. Verhoeven has earned a strong reputation over the years with impressive science fiction and genre films that carry deep themes, like RoboCop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers. Hollow Man is a bit of a misfire, but it’s still a fascinating take on the Invisible Man narrative that feels purely Verhoeven.

Paul Verhoeven’s Hollow Man stars Kevin Bacon as a courageous scientist that volunteers to be injected with an experimental invisibility serum. The serum is a success, but Bacon’s character finds that he’s unable to return to normal and as he’s stuck in this invisible state he begins to lash out in distressing and violent ways. Verhoeven doesn’t hide the fact that Hollow Man is meant to be a slick update to Wells’ iconic story, but the result is a product that feels very much of its time and offers little to the concept. The film’s only justification is that it’s a showcase for incredible special effects, which is almost ironic for a film that has a protagonist that can’t be seen.

What 2000’s Hollow Man Got Wrong As An Invisible Man Film

Verhoeven’s Hollow Man does an effective job at juggling the science fiction and horror genres, but once Kevin Bacon’s Sebastian becomes invisible the film quickly goes off the rails and turns into a rather derivative slasher film. Sebastian lashes out at his fellow co-workers as he sees them fail and betray him in various ways and he turns their laboratory into a series of complex deathtraps to carry out his revenge. Hollow Man contains a thin story, but the special effects in the movie are truly on another level. There are many looks at the “in between” process of becoming invisible that are absolutely terrifying. The effects are so well done that the film even earned an Academy Award nomination.

Hollow Man retains the basic core of The Invisible Man that looks at a scientist that struggles with his invisible status, as well as the complicated romantic aspect of the story. Beyond that, Hollow Man is strictly its own thing and it’s more interested in flashy murders (a flamethrower even plays a major part in the film) rather than the development of the invisible man narrative. Hollow Man also lacks the typical thematic resonance of Verhoeven’s other works and is fairly one note, which is even more disappointing since Wells’ story does have depth to it. Hollow Man amounts to a fascinating experiment for Verheoven, Bacon, and the horror genre, but hopefully Blumhouse’s take on the material tries a little harder.

Next: Who Is The Invisible Man: Origin & Powers Explained

  • The Invisible Man Release Date: 2020-02-28 Invisible Man Release Date: 2020-02-28