How many versions of The Invisible Man have there been?

Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2020, but it’s proven to be one of the most successful of the many Invisible Man adaptations that have been made over the years.

Leigh Whannell brought horror back to The Invisible Man in a big way and reminded both viewers and critics alike that Universal’s Monsters are at their finest when they’re genuinely terrifying. Whannell’s film updates H.G. Wells’ source material in creative ways that aren’t only smart, but appropriately comment on modern times in a way that makes the story more important and powerful than ever before.

Whannell’s Invisible Man is anchored by an incredible performance by Elisabeth Moss. Until these two knocked it out of the park, the Invisible Man seemed like a bit of a cautionary property. The Invisible Man has a lengthy legacy, and there have been a number of efforts over the years to try and do something new with the idea, whether it fits into the horror, science fiction, or comedy genre. With the newest adaptation released, we look back at all the other Invisible Man adaptations, ranking them from worst to best.

16. Invisible Mom 2 (1999)

Invisible Mom 2 banks on the success of the first film and Dee Wallace’s commitment to the role. The focus this time is around a poor orphan child who finally finds a family and a sense of belonging, only to have it all threatened. Dee Wallace's character, the invisible mom, comes to the rescue and applies her unique skills to not only help out orphan Eddie, but also teach him about family. There's a good message here, but it recycles many ideas from the first movie.

15. Invisible Dad (1997)

Fred Olen Ray truly shows how versatile he is as a director as he shifts gears from Invisible Mom to Invisible Dad here. There's a pretty simple structure in place here when an eccentric father accidentally gets turned invisible and it's up to his son to help him get back to normal. There are some cute gags and it's a nice alternative to Invisible Mom, but hardly seems necessary. Plus, there's nothing original happening in this movie, even if it is harmless fun.

14. Invisible Mom (1996)

Another attempt at mixing invisibility with the comedy genre, Invisible Mom explores the chaos that a family encounters when the matriarch of the household accidentally consumes her inventor husband's invisibility formula. Dee Wallace has a lot of fun in the title role and the film's triumphs are largely due to the work that she does. This is the best of Fred Olen Ray's films that explore invisibility, but it's still a predictable, dispensable comedy, albeit one with heart.

13. The Invisible Kid (1988)

It's a little disappointing when a teen sex comedy completely misses the mark and wastes the talent involved, but such is the case with 1988's The Invisible Kid. The film features the standard invisibility potion, but in this case a dorky teen becomes invisible and just uses the ability to get revenge on his bullies and spy on the girls' change room. In that sense, The Invisible Kid may be a realistic representation of a teenager's run with invisibility, but it's a waste of a movie that’s light on laughs and chemistry.

12. The Amazing Transparent Man (1960)

When a movie gets featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 it's typically a sign that the movie isn't high art. However, considering that The Amazing Transparent Man was shot in under two weeks it's kind of a miracle that it's as decent as it is. The film is over the top in the best way possible and features a maniac who kidnaps scientists and prisoners to create an invisibility potion for him. He proceeds to use this to create an army of invisible soldiers that he can sell, but the formula has severe side effects that essentially make them invisible zombies. It’s a crazy plot, but it’s also just very dull a lot of the time.

11. Hollow Man 2 (2006)

Paul Verhoeven’s Hollow Man made enough of an impression on audiences that it was able to warrant a direct-to-video sequel, but Hollow Man 2 is really a follow-up in title, only. The film pivots to a new cast of characters and wildly different premise where invisibility becomes weaponized and used by the CIA on their super soldiers. Suddenly, when the health of one of their soldiers starts to deteriorate, he goes after the scientists that turned him into this monstrosity in the first place. It’s interesting to see the film become much more of an action endeavor than a psychosexual horror film, but that change doesn’t do Hollow Man 2 any favors. Impressively, Hollow Man 2 swaps its lead from Kevin Bacon to Christian Slater, who does a commendable job in this schlocky direct-to-video sequel, but it still mostly provides diminishing returns.

10. Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992)

Memoirs of an Invisible Man is an exceptional letdown considering it’s John Carpenter’s take on the Invisible Man narrative. There are some fun special effects here, but this is much more a screwball comedy than a horror film (or even a sci-fi film). The movie stars Chevy Chase as an invisible man on the run from the CIA, but it feel more like a Chevy Chase comedy (and it could honestly be titled Fletch Disappears!) than it does a John Carpenter movie. That being said, there are some decent sight gags and creative takes on the Invisible Man concept that are featured in the movie.

9. The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)

The Invisible Man's Revenge is technically still a part of the original Invisible Man series continuity. Since there are four films that precede this one, there are definitely less ideas to play around with, but the film still comes up with an interesting morality tale. This time a scientist helps a fugitive on his mission to evade the law by turning him invisible. However, he quickly runs mad with power and uses his new skills to execute those who have wronged him.

8. Invisible Agent (1942)

Invisible Agent is a very unusual sequel to the original film. Frank Raymond, the grandson of the original Invisible Man, decides to use his ancestor's formula to become invisible to help in the war effort. Invisible Agent combines invisibility with wartime espionage and screwball comedy in a strange story that somehow puts the Invisible Man on the search for Hitler's secrets.

7. The Invisible Woman (1940)

The Invisible Woman goes in a much more comedic direction than the original Invisible Man. Here there's an invisibility machine that a model decides to use as a way to gain an advantage against her competition. Matters escalate when robbers steal the machine and this invisible model must take them down and retrieve the relic before there's more trouble. This may not be scary, but the effects are great, and the comedy really lands, too.

6. The Invisible Maniac (1990)

The Invisible Maniac is a lurid B-movie, but it absolutely is aware of this and embraces it in the best way possible, which results in a surprisingly entertaining slasher-esque horror film from 1990. The story here is that of a young scientist with dangerous voyeuristic tendencies who gets sent away to a mental institution. Decades later he escapes and racks up a body count before he gets a job as a high school science teacher, wherein he perfects his invisibility formula and runs amok the school. It's gratuitous and dumb, but it's a lot more entertaining than the serious takes on the Invisible Man idea.

5. Abbott And Costello Meet The Invisible Man (1951)

Spin-offs and connected universes are all the rage now, but one of the more bizarre examples of this that happened back in the ‘50s was when the comedic duo, Abbott and Costello, were paired with the Invisible Man. Something like this may seem like blasphemy, but it’s actually a very entertaining effort. A disgraced boxer turns himself invisible to avoid the police and Abbott and Costello play detectives that are on the case. It’s not just a funny film, but the mystery here delivers, too.

4. Hollow Man (2000)

Hollow Man has a bit of a contentious reputation and it’s a movie that deliciously tows the line between artistic and lurid that in a way that can only be done by the films of Paul Verhoeven. Verhoeven warps H.G. Wells’ story into an angry, violent story of revenge. Curiously, the diminished protagonists in both Hollow Man and 2020’s Invisible Man have a lot in common and both films are explorations of male sexual rage, albeit in different ways. Verhoeven turns Kevin Bacon into one of the creepiest ex-boyfriends of all time. Hollow Man’s biggest selling point are its incredible special effects that still decently hold up twenty years later. There’s a fun, trashy B-movie quality to Hollow Man, and it’s gained a cult reputation over the years, but it’s not any sort of masterpiece.

3. The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

The Invisible Man Returns is the original sequel to 1933’s Invisible Man and it puts Vincent Price in the signature role to brilliant effect. Price plays the brother of the original Invisible Man who’s accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. He uses his brother’s formula to buy himself time and catch the real culprit, but at the same time he begins to suffer from the insanity that’s a side effect of the invisibility. It’s a gripping story and one of Price’s better performances.

2. The Invisible Man (1933)

The film that started it all, 1933’s The Invisible Man still holds up remarkably well. The movie was a technical marvel of its time, but it still looks impressive and the creepy bandage aesthetic has since become iconic. The film embraces the horror roots of H.G. Wells’ story and it provides a mature look at the idea, whereas many of the sequels and follow-ups soften up and begin to insert comedy to the equation. If this first film hadn’t made such a mark, it’s hard to say if there’d still be Invisible Man films being made.

1. The Invisible Man (2020)

It may seem trendy to list Leigh Whannell’s most recent take on the Invisible Man as its best adaptation, but the director has truly crafted a powerful, unforgettable piece of horror. The most effective thing about Whannell’s movie is that it’s really a story about toxic relationships and emotional abuse that gets filtered through the old Invisible Man idea. Whannell takes many liberties with the source material, like making the invisibility be a suit that can be taken on and off at will, rather than a permanent curse. The Invisible Man is fantastic when it comes to the special effects, performances, and the score, but beyond everything else this film is just scary. It creates severe tension and anxiety right from the start where characters never feel safe and it’s for this level of uneasiness that Whannell’s film takes the top spot. The original The Invisible Man from 1933 is still a classic and an absolute marvel of its time, but it just doesn’t create the same feeling of constant dread that’s present here.

Next: What To Expect From The Invisible Man 2