The Invisible Movie Review

Rating: PG 13 

Starring: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Marcia Gay Hayden

Director:  David S Goyer  

Genre: Supernatural Thriller, Fantasy, Drama 

Violence: Moderate 

Profanity: Minor

Sex/Nudity: None 

Recommended for: Parents (Ideally, not with their kids) 

Age Groups: 13+ (However, not recommended for kids) 

Release Date: April 27, 2007 

Run time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Though marketed as a teen-aged ghost story, The Invisible is actually a social commentary on loss and broken families. It is a movie of teen-age angst and loss; an allegory of the search for identity in oneself and affirmation in others. 

The story revolves around Nick Powell (Justin Chatwin), a high school teenager. His father died when he was 13 and his mother seems to hardly notice his need for love and recognition, or even his presence. The first scene of the movie shows his birthday celebration. No one notices when he leaves the table, which introduces the theme of the “invisible.”

Due to a case of mistaken identity, Nick finds himself assaulted and left for dead. Nick has an out-of-the-body experience and wanders the earth seeking recognition—a condition that must be met if he is to rescue his body before it dies. 

The tone of the movie is unrelentingly depressing. As a ghost story, it’s terribly ineffective. Dads of teens might enjoy the movie with their partner, without their kids—to understand some of the emotions teenagers may experience in their search for identity. Watch out for violence, criminality, sensuality, and language, which border on being offensive.