Hollow Man (2000) - When Science Fiction Turns Sinister

Paul Verhoeven is no stranger to blending sci-fi spectacle with dark, uncomfortable themes. From RoboCop (1987) to Starship Troopers (1997), he’s always pushed the boundaries of what mainstream audiences are willing to handle. With Hollow Man (2000), he takes on H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man concept and updates it for the CGI age. What we end up with is a glossy, big-budget horror-thriller that’s as fascinating as it is disturbing.

Kevin Bacon stars as Sebastian Caine, a brilliant but egotistical scientist working on a government-funded invisibility project. When human trials become the next step, Caine volunteers himself as the guinea pig. The experiment is a success – he becomes invisible – but the team struggles to reverse the process. Trapped in a body that can’t be seen and consumed by his unchecked arrogance, Sebastian spirals into obsession, violence, and eventually murder.

The Good

Special Effects: For the year 2000, the visual effects were groundbreaking. Watching Bacon’s body peel away layer by layer – skin, muscle, organs – was jaw-dropping then and still holds up surprisingly well today. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for its effects, and deservedly so.
Tone: Verhoeven leans into the horror aspect more than most big-budget sci-fi of its era. There are genuine moments of suspense, especially when Caine begins stalking his colleagues. The claustrophobic lab setting amplifies the tension.
Kevin Bacon: Even when invisible, Bacon’s voice and physicality give Sebastian a real presence. His descent into madness feels believable, even if it’s uncomfortable to watch.

The Bad

Mean-Spirited Edge: While Verhoeven is known for his satirical bite, Hollow Man sometimes feels more cruel than clever. The voyeurism, sexual assault undertones, and brutality might be too much for some viewers, especially in today’s climate.
Thin Characters: Elisabeth Shue and Josh Brolin do their best, but their characters don’t get much depth. This is Brolin well before his run as Thanos or starring in No Country For Old Men and even though Shue had already been nominated for an Oscar at this point she seems wasted. Most of the supporting cast feels like fodder for Bacon’s increasingly sadistic experiments.
Formulaic Third Act: After a slow-burn psychological thriller build, the climax turns into a fairly standard slasher-style chase through the lab. It’s entertaining but loses some of the unique tension the film built up.

Hollow Man (2000) – Final Thoughts

Hollow Man is a curious beast. On one hand, it’s a polished, effects-driven horror film that brought the “invisible man” mythos into the 21st century. On the other, it’s a mean, cold experience that lacks the heart of Universal’s classic monster stories. Still, for horror fans – especially those who appreciate Verhoeven’s brand of transgressive storytelling – it’s worth a revisit.

It might not reach the heights of The Invisible Man (1933) or even the 2020 reimagining, but as a product of its time, Hollow Man remains a slick, unsettling entry in the horror sci-fi canon.