The Invisible

Based on the 2002 Swedish film Den Osynlige, The Invisible casts Justin Chatwin as Nick Powell – a rebellious teen who must solve his own murder after a schoolyard bully (Margarita Levieva’s Annie) leaves him for dead in a desolate forest. It’s clear virtually from the get-go that The Invisible has been designed to appeal solely to the coveted “tween” demographic – as the film is almost entirely lacking in anything even resembling complexity. Screenwriters Mick Davis and Christine Roum have infused the proceedings with an overwrought and downright silly vibe that’s exacerbated by Chatwin’s distinctly over-the-top performance; the actor seems to spend much of the film’s second half screaming at people, and there’s little doubt that his efforts to transform Nick into a sympathetic figure fall completely flat. Far more problematic is the scripters’ treatment of Annie, as the character, in a development that’s nothing short of absurd, goes from heartless bully to compassionate confidante (the viewer is asked to swallow this pathetic bit of pandering nonsense via the revelation that Annie comes from an abusive home). It’s underwhelming elements like that that essentially negate The Invisible‘s few positive elements, including an admittedly nifty mid-film plot twist and director David S. Goyer’s sporadically intriguing visual choices (eg the unbroken take that opens the film).

** out of ****