Well, this took a left turn.
After Claude Rains laughed his way into homicidal insanity and Vincent Price spent an entire movie trying not to lose his mind, Universal looked at the Invisible Man series and apparently decided, "You know what this franchise needs?"
A screwball comedy.
Watching The Invisible Woman in 2026 as the second film in Umbrella Entertainment's Invisible Intrigue section is a reminder that Universal never chained itself to one formula. While the Frankenstein and Wolf Man films grew darker with every sequel, the Invisible series was happy to throw science into a blender with romance, slapstick, mistaken identities, and rapid-fire comedy. Is it goofy?
Absolutely. Is it horror? Not really. Is it entertaining? You bet your invisible ass it is.
Released later in 1940, The Invisible Woman wastes absolutely no time announcing that this isn't another descent into madness. Kitty Carroll (Virginia Bruce), an unemployed model who's more than a little tired of being treated like yesterday's newspaper, answers an unusual advertisement placed by eccentric inventor Professor Gibbs (John Barrymore). His latest experiment? Perfecting invisibility without driving the subject completely insane.
What could possibly go wrong?.
Before long, Kitty vanishes, crooks come sniffing around looking to steal the formula, identities become hopelessly tangled, furniture starts flying across rooms, grown men panic over floating dresses, and nearly everyone involved starts making increasingly terrible decisions.
It's close encounters of the fun kind.
Virginia Bruce proves to be the film's secret weapon. She never treats the comedy like she's above it, embracing every ridiculous situation with charm, confidence, and perfect comic timing. Kitty isn't simply the object everyone else is chasing; she's often the smartest person in the room, using her newfound invisibility to settle scores, expose phonies, and generally have a blast while doing it.
Honestly, who wouldn't?
Watching Barrymore chew through dialogue as Professor Gibbs is worth the price of admission alone. Equal parts absent-minded genius and theatrical showman, he delivers every line with the confidence of a man who knows he's in a comedy and has absolutely no intention of playing it straight. His scenes inject the film with a manic energy that keeps everything moving at a brisk clip.
Director A. Edward Sutherland wisely understands that screwball comedies don't survive if they stop moving. The Invisible Woman practically sprints from one gag to the next, rarely lingering long enough for audiences to question the increasingly absurd plot. Doors slam. People hide. Invisible punches get thrown. Clothes float around the room. Everyone's constantly talking over one another. It's less about logic than momentum.
Fortunately, momentum wins.
Technically, Universal hadn't lost a step either. John P. Fulton's invisible effects continue to impress, even though they're now being used for laughs instead of terror. Floating gowns, disappearing bodies, and objects moving seemingly on their own remain wonderfully convincing, proving that good visual effects don't care whether they're supporting horror or comedy.
Viewed today, The Invisible Woman also feels refreshingly self-aware. It knows exactly how ridiculous its premise is, and rather than fighting that, it leans into it with both feet. The movie never asks to be taken too seriously. It simply wants you to have a good time.
Placed within Umbrella's Invisible Intrigue lineup, the film also demonstrates just how flexible the Invisible Man concept had become. Instead of repeating the same "scientist goes mad" narrative, Universal experimented with genre itself, proving that invisibility could support mysteries, thrillers, horror, or broad comedy depending on who happened to swallow the serum.
That's far more interesting than simply remaking the first movie over and over again.
Universal Horror: Monsters And Curiosities Blu-ray - Umbrella Entertainment Exclusive / Collector's Edition
Home Video Distributor: Umbrella Entertainment
Available on Blu-ray - July 1, 2026
Screen Formats: 1.33:1; Various
Subtitles: English SDH
Video: 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; nineteen-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
The Invisible Woman isn't trying to compete with The Invisible Man, and that's exactly why it succeeds. Lighthearted, energetic, and genuinely funny, the film embraces its screwball roots while still delivering the clever visual effects that made the series famous. Virginia Bruce is effortlessly charming, John Barrymore steals nearly every scene he's in, and the entire production moves with the kind of confidence that comes from filmmakers simply having fun. It may be the oddball entry in Universal's Invisible series. But every family needs one.
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents The Invisible Woman with another excellent high-definition transfer that preserves the film's bright cinematography and impressive visual effects work. Fine detail is consistently sharp, grayscale is beautifully balanced, and natural film grain gives the image a pleasing cinematic appearance. The invisible effects remain seamless throughout, proving once again that Universal's effects artists were operating years ahead of their time.
Audio
The lossless mono presentation delivers crisp dialogue, excellent musical fidelity, and clear reproduction of the film's energetic sound design. The rapid-fire comedic exchanges remain easy to follow, while the invisible sight gags benefit from subtle yet effective audio cues that help sell the illusion. Umbrella's presentation is clean, stable, and faithful to the original theatrical experience.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
As the second film in the Invisible Intrigue section of Umbrella Entertainment's Universal Horror: Monsters and Curiosities (1923–1960) collection, The Invisible Woman showcases Universal's willingness to let one of its signature concepts evolve beyond straight horror.
Viewed alongside The Invisible Man Returns, it highlights the remarkable versatility of the series while providing a welcome change of pace before darker entries return. Combined with the collection's excellent hardcover companion book, premium collector's packaging, and thoughtfully curated lineup of forty-five films, this overlooked comedy finally gets to shine—not as the black sheep of the franchise, but as one of its most unexpectedly delightful surprises.
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