Elisabeth Moss is no stranger to the world of thrillers and horror movies. Following her highly praised roles in 'Us' and 'The Handmaid's Tale', the American actress returns to the big screen with 'The Invisible Man', a film based on the novel of the same name by H.G. Wells. We were lucky enough to sit down with the actress herself to discuss the ins and outs of this new project, from choreographing fight scenes to how she perceives the landscape of feminism in Hollywood today.
'The Invisible Man', a film that combines the thriller, horror and science fiction genres to tell the story of a widow haunted by her past with a violent ex, considers the psychological scars that an abusive relationship can leave, though Moss says when she joined the project, she had not been searching for anything with a particular message enmeshed in the screenplay: "I didn't want to find a film with a message, not necessarily that, but I did want to find something different". Though she sustains that 'The Invisible Man' does not try to impose a particular message nor agenda, she believes that the film speaks volumes about the importance of "making sure that women have a voice, making sure that people are not silenced, making sure that people are comfortable and that they have a safe space to talk about what's happened to them".
The experiences of those who suffer from emotional and physical abuse form a real horror that Moss believes lends itself to the genre: "One of the reasons why it's so scary is because it's grounded in reality". The actress wisely points out that a film does not need ghosts nor gore to be frightening: "It's not a crazy thing. It's not a man with a knife and a mask. It's an actual real relationship and a real person".
Her discussion of the importance of individual voices and the brutal reality of abuse led Moss to reflect on the current state of feminism in Hollywood. For Moss, open conversation is a key aspect in the journey to diversify the film industry and even the world beyond Hollywood: "In Hollywood, there's this visibility that is perhaps different from other fields, but hopefully talking about it in that field lends something to the discussion in other areas".
Moss did not hesitate to show her support for the decision made by Natalie Portman to attend the recent Oscars gala kitted in a dress and cape embroidered with the names of the female filmmakers that had been omitted from the Best Director category that year. "Not only was it a beautiful dress, but I thought that the message was subtle and personal to her", said Moss. "I loved it. I love everything she says about female directors and other women and the lack of that".
'The Invisible Man': Making Victims Visible
'The Invisible Man' follows a widow named Cecilia Kassen who attempts to rebuild her life after fleeing from her relationship with an abusive and controlling partner. When her ex-partner commits suicide and leaves Cecilia a large part of his fortune, Cecilia grows suspicious that her ex is not as dead as the doctors claimed - nor is Cecilia as safe as she once thought. 'The Invisible Man' is written and directed by Leigh Whannell. Joining Elisabeth Moss in the cast are Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. 'The Invisible Man' will hit UK cinemas on the 28th February.
