The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man (1933) is James Whale's horror film, and you can watch it online on iFILM. On a snowy night a stranger checks into an English country inn, wrapped head to toe in bandages and dark goggles. He demands to be left alone, and turns frighteningly hostile the moment anyone pries.

Beneath the wrappings is the chemist Jack Griffin, who tested a serum on himself that rendered his flesh transparent and dissolved his sanity along with it. He veers between hunting for an antidote and fits of megalomania, growing more murderous by the scene. For most of the runtime Claude Rains has only his voice to work with in his Hollywood debut, his face withheld until the very end. Gloria Stuart plays the fiancée still clinging to the hope of saving him.

Whale, fresh off Frankenstein, laced the dread with a streak of dark comedy, and the optical effects, empty suits that move and undress on their own, still look clever today. Adapted from H.G. Wells' novel, the picture became a cornerstone of the Universal monster cycle. It's a treat for fans of vintage horror and anyone curious where the genre's tricks began. Stream The Invisible Man (1933) online on iFILM.