History Film / HollowMan

* ImpendingDoomPOV

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollow_man_105.jpg]]

''Hollow Man'' (2000) is a {{science fiction}} {{thriller}} {{film}} directed by Creator/PaulVerhoeven, inspired by Creator/HGWells' ''Literature/TheInvisibleMan''. It stars Creator/ElisabethShue, Creator/KevinBacon, and Creator/JoshBrolin as a team of scientists trying to perfect the formula for an invisibility serum for the military. Initially, the only remaining snag is reversing the invisibility effect, but when Dr. Sebastian Caine (Bacon) discovers the key, the team eagerly anticipates gaining clearance for human trials.

** Before going through the final stage of invisibility, Caine responds to a question by reciting a crude joke involving Superman, Wonder Woman and the Invisible Man. The joke actually foreshadows how corruptable Caine is, like Superman, Caine uses his new abilities irresponsibly and immorally.

** Before going through the final stage of invisibility, Caine responds to a question by reciting a crude joke involving Superman, Wonder Woman and the Invisible Man. The joke actually foreshadows how corruptable Caine is, like Superman, Caine uses his new abilities selfishly and immorally.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Isabelle, a member of a normally ''herbivorous'' race (gorillas), [[LudicrousGibs messily devouring a rat]] while under the invisibility serum foreshadows how much the serum is really a PsychoSerum and the corrosive effects it would have on the human mind.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Dr. Sebastian Caine. His employers tolerate his eccentricities because he was remarkably talented, though when Caine failed to announce his breakthrough (after nearly a year of no progress), they warn him that should he fail to come up with results shortly, he will be fired.

* NameOfCain: [[CaptainObvious Caine.]]

* BlackComedyRape: Caine tells a well-known joke about {{Superman}} and WonderWoman, with the Invisible Man [[note]]Maybe it was the ComicBook/MartianManhunter?[[/note]] caught in the middle[[note]]The punchline reveals to the audience that Superman inadvertently raped the Invisible Man while raping Wonder Woman[[/note]]. Possibly subverted, in that no one laughs. It only acts as foreshadowing of Caine's character.

* InvisibleStreaker: Is it still indecent exposure if nobody can see what's exposed?

* FanDisservice: We do get to see Sarah's exposed breasts, but given that it's when Caine is molesting her while she's asleep, it's deeply disturbing.

%%* FromNobodyToNightmare: Caine.

%%* {{Invisibility}}

%%* VillainProtagonist: Caine.

* FanDisservice: We do get to see Sarah's exposed breasts, but given that it's when Caine is molesting her while she's asleep, its deeply disturbing.

''Hollow Man'' (2000) is a {{science fiction}} {{thriller}} {{film}} directed by Creator/PaulVerhoeven, inspired by Creator/HGWells' ''Literature/TheInvisibleMan''. It stars Elisabeth Shue, Creator/KevinBacon, and Creator/JoshBrolin as a team of scientists trying to perfect the formula for an invisibility serum for the military. Initially, the only remaining snag is reversing the invisibility effect, but when Dr. Sebastian Caine (Bacon) discovers the key, the team eagerly anticipates gaining clearance for human trials.

** [[spoiler:Although considering he's entirely invisible, including his body fluids (earlier he was shown vomiting into a toilet, but his vomit was also invisible) and his slight re-visualization at the climax never goes further than his muscles, it's quite possible that he does in fact have some 1st or 2nd degree burns, with either insanity or adrenaline helping him ignore the pain.]]

* LightningCanDoAnything: During the climax, [[spoiler:Caine is electrocuted, causing the invisibility to falter slightly, leaving him half-visible, with organs visible]]. A ChekhovsGun is offered earlier in the film, in which the cure for a test gorilla's invisibility only worked after the team used a defibrillator on its heart.

%%* MadScientist: Caine.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Isabelle bloodily eating a mouse while under the invisibility serum foreshadows how much the serum is a PsychoSerum and the aggressive effects it would have on humans.

* NotQuiteDead: Caine manages to keep rising from the dead over and over again once invisible. Even the beginnings of the serum's failure ([[AndIMustScream trapping up between two quantum phases]]) doesn't even slow him down.
* PainfulTransformation: The first clue that the serum may not be all it's cracked up to be in humans is when, injected with it, Caine starts screaming in agony just as he begins to disappear...

%%* NotQuiteDead: Quite a few times.
%%* PainfulTransformation

* InvisibleJerkass: Caine. Though the film hints that it's not really his fault; the incident with the invisible gorilla suggests the serum has deleterious effects on the mind.

%%* InvisibleJerkass: Caine.

* SeeTheInvisible: The invisibility process doesn't stop Caine from showing up on thermal cameras. He is also accidentally revealed just prior to an attack by the smoke from his victim's cigarette. In the climax, the heroes throw around paint to try and make him visible, or at least make sure his footprints show up.

* Foreshadowing: Isabelle bloodily eating a mouse while under the invisibility serum foreshadows how much the serum is a PsychoSerum and the aggressive effects it would have on humans.

* KillerGorilla: The beginning of the movie has an invisible and vicious gorilla.

* [[BunnyEarsLawyer Bunny Ears Scientist]]: Dr. Sebastian Caine. His employers tolerate his eccentricities because he was remarkably talented, though when Caine failed to announce his breakthrough (after nearly a year of no progress), they warn him that should he fail to come up with results shortly, he will be fired.

* WindowPain: Caine throws in the window of Linda's apartment [[GreenEyedMonster when he sees her]] making out with Matthew.