Mainstream horror has seen a resurgence in recent years, with the likes of Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) and Ari Astor (Hereditary, Midsommar) proving that genre movies can kick-it with best prestige dramas. Just as Hammer Horror once dominated the market with their classic monster movies, so Blumhouse have become the masters of 21st century psychological thriller; with their latest release, The Invisible Man, they show no signs of slowing down.

In this modern reimagining of the H.G. Wells classic, Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) is ready to restart her life after the suicide of her abusive ex-boyfriend, Adrien. But her plans, not to mention her sanity, are soon derailed by an invisible stalker. Has Adrien done the seemingly impossible and found a way to continue his torment from beyond the grave? Or have years of gaslighting and psychological abuse lessened Cecilia’s grip on reality?

Despite three decades of watching movies together, horror is probably the genre which divides us the most – both in how much we have seen and how likely it is to be at the top of our Watch Later list. Neither of us are what you might call horror aficionados, though generally speaking Alexandra has a higher tolerance for cinematic scares. Emily has only recently been able to sit through an entire horror flick without her hands covering her ears – only peeking through fingers at Hereditary and Us, and shutting eyes once in Get Out. Was a scary film about an invisible threat that locked doors can’t keep out really the best choice for the Lockdown List? It certainly was.

What makes The Invisible Man truly impressive is the way the horror works on different levels. It’s both a classic horror movie – the jump-scares, the ominous music, a little well placed gore – and a psychological thriller. It’s hard to tell what’s scarier: the physical threat to Cecilia’s life or the idea of going insane, of having your reality completely rejected by everyone around you, and having your freedom taken away as a result. If the main premise seems a bit outlandish, Cecilia’s descent into madness and eventual incarceration in a mental facility is chillingly real. The film gives us a glimpse of what people who suffer from paranoid delusions must go through on a daily basis; terrified of an invisible threat, but unable to convince others of its existence.

Not to downplay a great supporting cast, but this film is dependent on its lead role. Step forward Elisabeth Moss. The poor woman can’t seem to catch a break lately: if she’s not being bludgeoned to death by her doppelgänger, she’s being cattle-prodded by Ann Dowd and now her tormentor may or may not even be real. It’s not an easy part to pull off and the temptation to overplay the mania is ignored in favour of an emotionally and physically restrained perfomance. You can see her tense up as she tries to gain control over her own thoughts, and most of her expression comes through her eyes, or her faintly trembling jaw.

The abject failure of Universal’s much hyped Dark Universe (they managed to jump both the gun and the shark on that one) has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Unhampered by the concerns and constraints of a shared cinematic universe*, director Leigh Whannell was able to focus all his efforts on making the best possible version of this story – and boy does he deliver. He ramps up the tension beautifully with lingering shots of empty spaces, empty clothes, empty shoes, all constant reminders of the unseen presence that permeates through the scene. The CGI is minimal and unobtrusive, which helps to keep the film grounded; and there are a couple of well placed nods to the source material which are sure to keep the purists happy.

Whannell has paid close attention to details in this film. He subtly plants seeds at the start of the film without telegraphing them, so that they come as a surprise when brought back later. It is incredibly pleasing to reflect that every detail has been planned as part of the bigger picture and only makes you want to watch it again to check anything you might have missed.

Horror may be the genre with which we have had the most different experiences, but we both agree that The Invisible Man is satisfyingly spooky. This film will have you doing double-takes next time you mislay an item about the house and we bet more than a few viewers will be swatting at thin air before they jump into bed.

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*Seriously, can we all please just agree that Marvel has this market cornered and move on with our lives?