Spanning the 1930s right up to the cusp of the ‘50s, Universal’s Invisible Man series went through a few phases before effectively going dormant. With a couple of straightforward horror movies, a pair of crime noirs, a WW2 adventure serial, and even a proto-feminist comedy, there’s an eclectic variety to this franchise that makes it ideal for binge-watching. If nothing else, you can guarantee that you won’t be subjected to any repetitious plot points or rehashed gimmicks.

Indeed, the studio was ahead of the curve in trying to avoid sequelitis and you can’t really accuse them of resting on their laurels or playing it safe. There’s not an outwardly terrible movie in the line-up, but which are the must-sees and which ones can you afford to skip?

To find out, let’s go through each of these golden age gems and rank them according to overall quality and entertainment value. 

6) The Invisible Woman (1940) 

The Invisible Woman is a bit of an oddity as far as the series is concerned, given that it is utterly divorced from the continuity of the other films and shares almost nothing in common with any of them. Not only does it contradict the basic ideology of the original novel – to the point where it actively celebrates its protagonist’s unchecked power- but Dr. Griffin’s formula doesn’t even get a mention. Instead, they come up with an entirely separate method for rendering people invisible here, one that’s inexplicably triggered by alcohol consumption. 

In fact, the 1940 production is so far removed from its heritage that it doesn’t even namedrop H.G Wells in the opening credits! As such, you could feasibly erase it from the canon and view it as its own original story. And to be honest, that’s probably the best way to approach it, because when judged on its own terms this is a perfectly serviceable (albeit dated) rom-com that passes the time well enough. 

The plot centers on Kitty Caroll, a down-on her-luck department store model who volunteers as a guinea pig for a radical experiment that will make her vanish completely from sight. Furthering the scientific cause is not on Kitty’s agenda however, as she really intends to use the newfound abilities for her own gain, namely by staging pranks on her vindictive ex-boss. Wacky hijinks ensue and along the way she gets tangled up in an attempted robbery, some awkward slapstick, and a hackneyed screwball romance. 

Perhaps it’s a tad unfair to judge a comedy like this by modern standards, but the jokes are pretty stale, largely revolving around weak pratfalls and contrived misunderstandings. Not to mention a bawdy running gag about how Kitty has to keep undressing in order to truly disappear. The special effects aren’t that strong either, which is disappointing when you consider that John P. Fulton – the trailblazing genius behind the first film- was overseeing them. For example, you can often see Kitty’s outline when she is supposed to be transparent and there are even a couple of slip-ups wherein the actress’ velvet bodysuit hasn’t been fully removed from the composite image.  

5) The Invisible Agent (1942)

During WW2, many pop-culture figures were repurposed as propaganda spokespeople. From Little Orphan Annie, to Superman, right through to Daffy Duck, it seemed like everyone was doing their part to boost frontline morale. That is with the exception of the Universal monsters, who remained conscientious objectors throughout the period. The only member of the gang who fleetingly enlisted was the Invisible Man, who is such an obvious fit for espionage thrillers that it’s a wonder a whole spin-off franchise didn’t spawn from his wartime exploits.

For what it’s worth, his one-and-done outing in the spy genre has an absolutely terrific set-up, as one of Griffin’s descendants inherits the vanishing serum and uses it to infiltrate Axis Berlin. What’s more, when the film embraces its inherently schlocky tone, it can be a real hoot. After all, it’s hard not to be entertained by all the Nazi-killing, undercover liaisons, double crosses and daring prison breaks. 

Alas, the big problem is that the movie doesn’t make the most out of its USP, with the espionage aspects of the story not quite gelling with the sci-fi. When you hear that ingenious premise, you naturally start thinking of all the exciting scenarios that a writer could conjure up from the idea of an unseen operative. Yet for the most part he’s just doing things that would fall within the remit of an ordinary spy, barely using his powers for anything other than eavesdropping or skulking around in the shadows. So, what difference do his powers really make?  

Furthermore, out of all the anti-heroes to take up the mantle of the Invisible Man, this iteration is by far the most vanilla. Lacking any moral defects or relatable flaws, he’s just a white bread, all American do-gooder with an indistinct voice (a huge stumbling block for a role that’s mainly disembodied speech). Likewise, apart from a few European emigrants, the rogue’s gallery here is largely comprised of stateside actors who are noticeably struggling with wonky Deutschland accents, robbing them of any menace they may have otherwise possessed. Come to think of it, the only star to have any loose connection to Germany is Peter Lorre, who they bafflingly got to play a Japanese man. 

4) The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944) 

After a couple of wonky flirtations with other genres, the series’ fifth installment took a decidedly back-to-basics approach, scaling things back to deliver a classic horror story about the dangers of greed and hubris. Our protagonist this time around is an escaped psychiatric patient named Robert, who tracks down his old business associates to recover his share of a diamond field venture they invested in years ago. When these former colleagues explain that the profits have since dried up, he flies off the handle and vows to settle the debt one way or another. 

During the subsequent journey home, he stumbles upon a menagerie of see-through animals that belong to a mad scientist trying to unlock the secrets of invisibility. It just so happens that this nutty professor is in the market for a human test subject, so that he can take his research to the next level. Intrigued by the opportunities this would open up, Robert agrees to a surgery that will remove his pigmentation and render him completely imperceptible. As you would expect, the procedure is a success, equipping the homicidal maniac with everything he needs to enact revenge upon his ex-partners. 

History doesn’t seem to have been too kind to this one for some reason, but there’s a lot to appreciate about it. For a start, it’s by far the darkest and most nihilistic of the bunch and it was also nice to revisit the idea of a purely malevolent Invisible Man. On that note, Robert is a ruthless psycho with impunity to do whatever he wants without fear of being caught. His sinister presence looms over the entire production, reminding you just how frightening these godlike powers can be when placed in the wrong hands.

The paranoia this induces is borderline Hitchcockian, a vibe that is further accentuated by the classy production design, scheming characters, and elegant dialogue (at one point, Robert is poetically described as a ‘’man fighting against shadows […] Warped by imaginary wrongs’’). For me, this was the biggest surprise out of the Universal catalogue and the only thing that really weighed it down was the anticlimactic ending. Other than that, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you give it a chance.

3) The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

This initial follow-up is the one that most closely resembles a traditional sequel to the Invisible Man. Directly referencing the events and characters of that first film, it focuses on Jack Griffin’s hitherto unmentioned sibling, who has successfully replicated the invisibility formula, in order to spring a wrongly convicted prisoner from death row. The fugitive in question is Sir. Geoffrey Radcliffe (played by the inimitable Vincent Price), who has been framed for a murder that he did not commit and desperately seeks to clear his name. As such, he must race against time to unravel the intricate conspiracy laid against him, before his psyche is irreversibly damaged by the very chemical that secured his freedom in the first place.  

It’s an instantly gripping hook, with a tantalizing central mystery and a propulsive ticking clock element that keeps things moving at a steady clip. But what’s really interesting about The Invisible Man Returns is the clever role reversal that turns the ‘’monster’’ into a pitiful victim. You see, unlike Claude Rains irredeemable baddie, this take on the superhuman character is far more sympathetic, introducing us to him before the monocane drug has addled his mind.

The convincing transformation is partly down to top-notch work from Price, who expertly charts a course from earnest tenderness to entitled megalomania, using only subtle changes in the intonation of his voice. Yet it’s the surprisingly nuanced writing that really sells Geoffery’s tragic arc, as his vocabulary and rhetoric starts to echo that of his deranged predecessor. He rants about how ‘’infantile’’ the average person is, how they are all hopeless to stop him, and how he alone controls the balance over good and evil. By the time he is proclaiming that ‘’being invisible makes [him] a king’’, you know he’s too far gone. And that downfall is really affecting, because we’ve seen how compassionate and vulnerable he once was. In that sense, this is probably the most emotionally resonant of all the Invisible Man films. 

It’s easily the most technically accomplished as well, boasting Oscar nominated VFX wizardry that ups the ante in every conceivable respect. Indeed, the optical illusions are even more ambitious than those in the first film. Standouts include a moment wherein Geoffrey must locate an obscured vein in order to inject himself with a hypodermic needle, and another sequence in which he purloins clothes from a scarecrow in full view of the camera. 

2) Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) 

Where the Invisible Woman faltered, this crossover spoof passes with flying colors. It fulfills the laughter quota whilst still knowing when to take things seriously, resulting in that rare horror-comedy that gets both sides of the equation right. The wordplay is slick, the physical routines are executed with precision and the narrative is far more engrossing than it realistically needed to be. 

On that note, the ever-flexible series went for an underdog sports motif here, with Abbott and Costello getting embroiled in a high stakes boxing match. You see, the affable twosome recently qualified as gumshoe detectives – after slipping a guy 20 bucks for the credentials – and for their inaugural case have agreed to help out a renowned prize fighter, who (you guessed it) has been framed for a murder he did not commit. To add an extra wrinkle into proceedings, the middleweight champ wants to personally aid in the investigation and has gulped down the invisibility potion so that he can help the pair infiltrate the world of pugilism. But as the audience has come to expect by now, the serum comes with its fair share of side effects and is slowly eroding at the client’s sanity. Suffice it to say, things don’t necessarily go according to plan. 

If that all sounds a bit familiar, it’s probably because there’s more than a little overlap with the Invisible Man Returns. You’ve got the whole ‘’man on the run’’’ angle, as well as the titular character’s slow descent into madness. Not to mention the fact that certain VFX shots have been literally recycled from the earlier movie. That being said, there’s just enough innovation to keep things feeling fresh and the way in which the tried-and-tested plot intersects with the comedic duo’s shtick is endlessly entertaining. 

In addition to ticking all of the Invisible Man boxes (a strong lead, creative use of special effects, and a thoughtful meditation on how having absolute power can corrupt the very best of us), there are a number of smartly written and impeccably performed gags too, with director Charles Lamont getting as much comedic mileage from the conceit as possible. One particularly memorable highlight sees Costello hilariously fake his way through a bout, when in reality his spectral client has joined him in the ring to do all the heavy lifting. 

1) The Invisible Man (1933) 

‘’An invisible man can rule the world. No one will see him come, no one will see him go […] He can rob, and rape, and kill!’’

It should come as no surprise to find this one sitting atop the list. After all, James Whale’s masterclass in horror is not only the definitive Invisible Man movie, but also the crème de la crème of its Universal stablemates. Livelier than The Mummy, less stodgy than Dracula and more cutting-edge than The Wolfman – it has aged remarkably well. It even manages to surpass Whale’s own Frankenstein pictures, thanks to its macabre sense of humour, striking imagery, and exceedingly charismatic villain. 

The adaptation gets off on the right foot by sticking incredibly close to the source material, depicting an enigmatic traveler (Claude Rains) who seeks refuge from a bitter winter storm in the remote village of Iping. The locals don’t take too kindly to the outsider- on account of his irritable temperament- but accept him into the community all the same, so that they can indulge in gossip behind his back. They’re specifically fascinated by his peculiar get-up, which sees him garbed in a thick layer of bandages that cover his entire face, alongside impenetrable goggles and a fake nose. 

Speculating that he must have been involved in some kind of terrible accident, or that he is a wanted criminal, they keep on snooping around until eventually the stranger erupts into a fit of rage and decides to satiate their curiosity once and for all. He subsequently removes his disguise, revealing to the world that he has been made completely transparent by an experimental concoction of his own design. Angry that he has had to expose himself like this, and drunk on the intoxicating monocaine substance that grounds his formula, the scientist then embarks on a ‘’reign of terror’’ throughout the region. 

The MVP of this flick is undoubtedly Rains himself, who commands an extraordinary screen-presence, despite the fact that his face is concealed for the majority of the runtime. A lot of this is to do with the highly expressive line delivery and distinctive cadence that make him sound like an imposing orator. You just hang on his every last word, which is a crucial asset for a character like this that you can’t actually see. There are other things too, like the creepy hand gestures he uses when threatening violence, or his inscrutable body language that makes it impossible to tell what he’s thinking in moments of silence. Plus, he absolutely nails the maniacal laugh (which incidentally is rumoured to have inspired Mark Hammil’s portrayal of the Joker). 

Jack Griffin is such a mesmerizing character in every respect – from the legendary performance, to the iconic look and the chilling writing – making a stronger impression in just one go-around than Universal’s ‘’Big Three’’ managed across multiple films. He’s simply that good. So, when you place a villain like this at the heart of a production that’s got so much else going for it (beautiful cinematography, assured direction. and state-of-the-art effects), then you’ve basically got the full package.

In short, The Invisible Man might be nearing 90 years old, but it hasn’t lost any of its luster. 

Fun Fact: Although he appears in just one film, Rains’ version of the Invisible Man racks up the highest body count of any Universal monster, on account of the 100 passengers that are aboard the train he derails.