Writer and director Ryan Nunes brings the reality of living with chronic illness to our screens. A hundred and thirty-three million Americans and 26 million people in the UK are currently living with a chronic illness/ Long Term Condition. These are long term conditions which cannot be cured but must be managed. A broad range of conditions fall under this umbrella term including chronic pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to name a few.
In light of this, Nunes’ protagonist, Riley (Madison Shmalo) suffers with a condition that is not explicitly explained. Instead, the common themes that are present for many sufferers of chronic illness are explored. For Riley, these include pain, fatigue, frustration and loneliness. Navigating everyday life is an unprecedented challenge. Riley works as a delivery driver, which poses physical challenges for her. The film also touches on the difficulty of navigating health insurance – a concern for many Americans as the U.S. has no national health service like the UK.
Riley speaks of a terrible loneliness. She is alive, but not really living. Here physically but never really present. Her co-worker, Jack (Paul Kandarian) notices she is suffering in silence and tries to offer some friendly advice. He suggests she needs to be honest with herself. Like much of the film, the conclusion is left open to interpretation. But the feeling and emotion threaded throughout is strikingly clear.
With an impressive performance of stoicism from Madison Shmalo, the character of Riley remains almost unknowable. Shmalo creates the sense of invisibility at the core of the film while also being the most visible and engaging symbol. The turmoil Shmalo performs is reflected in the cinematography and lighting – as director of photography, Nunes favours darkness, shadow and a cold, blue tint.
Subtle and understated, Invisible encourages us to be sensitive to what others might be dealing with on a daily basis.
Watch the full film below.