The Invisible Man Appears

This movie is essentially an overly complicated and somewhat incoherent crime movie wrapped in the trappings of an invisible man story. The one interesting aspect of the plot is the mystery around who the invisible man actually is. It's surprising that subsequent movies in this subgenre have never taken advantage of this obvious opportunity. In the case of this movie, unfortunately, it isn't difficult to figure out who the invisible man is, and the fact is revealed soon enough anyway. Insofar as entertainment value, it's a pretty slow moving affair. Nonetheless, it is worth watching for fans of Japanese sci-fi and horror if for no other reason than curiosity's sake.

The film is available through Sinister Cinema, and through Arrow as one half of a double bill with the Invisible Man Versus the Human Fly. Arrow made zero effort at restoration, so it's probably from the same 16mm print employed by Sinister. Arrow has made its usual mistake of using the astoundingly overrated so-called expert Kim Newman, who relies on his usual "perhaps," "it could be that," and other qualifiers as a substitute for actual research and expertise. I sort of wish I had spent my money with Sinister instead to support their business.