Hi all! 

Today I am ranking all of Leigh Whannell’s directorial films. He is one of my favourite horror directors, alongside best friend and fellow Melbournian, James Wan. Leigh is known for blending psychological tension, using practical effects and subverting audience expectations. He knows how to balance horror and emotional depth through framing and atmosphere. Also, as a huge fan of Saw, I’ve always respected Leigh’s ability to create great features with limited resources and lower budgets. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Spoilers Ahead!

1.) The Invisible Man 

My absolute favourite Leigh Whannell film is The Invisible Man. In my opinion, it was the best horror of 2020.

‘Cecilia’s abusive ex-boyfriend fakes his death, becoming invisible to stalk and torment her. With no one in her corner, she decides to hunt down the truth on her own.’

This movie is insanely gripping, with an extremely satisfying ending. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The acting, suspense and twists/turns were enough to make it a clear winner. For any woman that has ever been gaslit by another man, The Invisible Man will make you feel seen. Elizabeth Moss is exceptional in this role. She loses everything, including her sanity, yet persists in the face of justice. I truly believe this is Leigh’s best feature. I love the way he built tension in the sound design from the very opening scene. The jump-scares were effective, as well as the psychological horror. I felt just as confused as poor Cecilia; questioning what was real and what wasn’t. If you only watch one film from this list, let it be this one. 

2.) Insidious: Chapter 3

In second place, we have Insidious: Chapter 3. It’s also my second favourite film in the Insidious franchise. 

‘Quinn reaches out to a powerful psychic, to help her contact her recently deceased mother. However, her plan backfires when an evil spirit makes Quinn its next host.’

This instalment had a lot of heart. It features Elise’s late husband Jack and how the dead protect us long after they are gone. I’m such a sucker for character development. It’s also indicative of Leigh’s ability to successfully blend horror and emotion. Viewers will feel scared and heartbroken at the same time. The same can be said for Wolf Man (see below). It’s strange that he only directed one film in the series, but the majority agree it’s one of the strongest – a huge testament to Mr. Whannell. 

3.) Wolf Man 

In third place, we have Wolf Man. 

‘When Blake and his family are attacked by an unseen animal, the family barricade themselves inside a farmhouse. As the night stretches on, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognisable, that soon jeopardises his wife and daughter.’

Wolf Man’s best asset were its visuals. It is set in central Oregon, among lush valleys and crystal blue lakes. It takes its time building up the family storyline, so we as viewers, care about the characters. The movie is meant to tug on your heartstrings, as we watch a man who adores his wife and child devolve into madness. As the transformation occurs, the plot suddenly becomes less wholesome and a lot more gruesome. Wolf Man does not shy away from gore, body horror and violence. Having said all that, the pacing really stopped me in my tracks. The movie would drag in parts, suddenly speed up and then slow back down again. It felt very off to me, to the point where I couldn’t really discern the middle and third act. Whilst it isn’t my favourite from Leigh’s catalogue, I can still appreciate it for what it is. I love that 2/4 of his movies are Universal Monster remakes. 

4.) Upgrade

Last, but certainly not least, we have Upgrade. 

‘Grey, a technophobe, suffers paralysis; losing his wife during an attack. But when a billionaire hands him a chip in his body that restores his mobility, he sets out to get vengeance.’

This may be my least favourite Leigh Whannell film but I still really enjoyed it. Even at his ‘worst,’ he still produces something fundamentally solid. It’s a fun action thriller to pop on for a date night. I’m never going to say no to a revenge flick. I also like that it was set in Melbourne. I felt more connected to it; recognising places I have literally driven past before. There were some great fight scenes and intense, gory kills I wasn’t expecting. The reason I rated it last was simply because I’ve come across this story before. It follows the ‘rise of the machines’ trope, where artificial intelligence appears helpful, in the guise of wanting to take over. I still recommend checking out Upgrade if you haven’t already. 

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank Leigh’s films? 

Peace & Love xoxo