Another Hole in the Head 2025 Film Festival Coverage
The Invisible Half review
It follows one of the greats into (mostly) good territory.
Festival movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
The Invisible Half
Directed by Masaki Nishiyama
Written by Masaki Nishiyama
Starring Lisa Siera, Miyu Okuno and Runa Hirasawa
The Invisible Half Review
It Follows is one of the best movies of the 2010s. It may even be my favorite movie from that decade…though I haven’t looked that deeply into the matter. Writer/director Masaki Nishiyama clearly loves it too. The Invisible Half takes more than a few cues from that instant classic horror film. The movie is too well made to be labeled a simple knock-off or riff. Picture it more like the concept of It Follows became its own subgenre of horror. The Invisible Half would be one of the good releases to (apologies for the unavoidable pun) follow in its footsteps.
The story of The Invisible Half revolves around Elena (Lisa Siera). Elena is a half Japanese/half British girl who joins a new school. She quickly makes friends with Akari (Miyu Okuno) and joins in making fun of the strange girl in the class, Nyan (Runa Hirasawa). Nyan flips out when her phone is stolen…but does so in a way that shows how terrified she is about it. After Nyan dies…Elena, in possession of her phone, learns why. She inherits a curse that sees an entity coming for her…one that can only be seen through the phone’s camera and heard through earphones.
The Invisible Half does a good job of explaining why Nyan has the weird quirks she does. The meaning of her name provides ammunition for her bullies. Retreating from the world and into your phone screen…blocking out noise with your headphones…it creates an image that makes sense. There’s more too it of course. Her life literally depends on doing it. When Elena inherits the curse…she is positioned to be the outcast. Her half British heritage already makes her feel like one…but that self-consciousness isn’t going to get you killed. What follows (couldn’t be helped) is an investigation into the curse…and an inevitable showdown.
If that sounds familiar…yea…that’s what It Follows is too. The Invisible Half doesn’t have a sexually transmitted ghost…or a killer synth soundtrack…but it does have a few things going for it. The performances are terrific. The movie looks great. Elena’s split background making her a target for similar bullying that Nyan suffered gives the story an interestingly grounded reality. She can empathize with Nyan…but is also forced to walk the same path by a cruel twist of fate.
While the story moves along at a nice pace, allowing Elena to become a fully realized character…The Invisible Half doesn’t quite stick the landing. We get a bigger showdown than It Follows attempted…which was nice. But the finale fails to effectively pay off the story that The Invisible Half spends so much time building. It’s still worth checking out. Honestly, I wouldn’t even describe the ending as frustrating. It’s not disappointing so much as it’s just kind of weird.
The Invisible Half uses its underlying story of bullying to put a fresh coat of paint on the already effective It Follows formula. This movie puts more focus on developing its main character…but ultimately fails to fully honor it with its finale. If you can look past that…The Invisible Half has a lot to offer. It’s a confident work with fine performances and a great look. While the concept may be borrowed…the story built around it serves it well. For the most part.
Scare Value
The Invisible Half is a well-paced and consistently interesting usage of a familiar concept. If you enjoy investigative horror with some supernatural stakes…you’ll find plenty to like here. While the ending leaves a little to be desired, it’s certainly not a deal breaker. In fact, The Invisible Half does a fine job resurrecting a concept that we could probably stand to see used a bit more.
