Parents' Guide to

Hollow Man

By M. Faust, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Even for mature viewers, this is a flop.

Movie R 2002 114 minutes
Hollow Man Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

neil W.
neil W. Parent of 11 and 14-year-old
April 21, 2023
age 18+

This version of the invisible man is definitely not for kids. Agree with common sense

Seriously!? A good sci fi premise turns to sex and demise? This film is a 2000 sci fi thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven. It stars Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw who is a scientist working on an invisibility serum. The serum unfortunately works and now through those traumatizing moments of pain, Sebastian has to suffer a bit more than just work but more experiments. He can't take it so he uses his invisible ability to do what he wants. That means raping a woman, touching female characters and stalking. Sex and nudity, where to even begin!? On the scale from 1 to 5 I give it a 4/5. There are some breasts and female nudity, innuendo and underwear. A man reading a porno magazine and another with a wonder woman joke. A rape and a guy unbuttoning a woman's shirt to reveal her breasts. Violence and gore 5/5 DEFINITELY BRUTAL! People are strangled, blood packets thrown, man burned alive, rat eaten, animals abused and one man impaled, beaten shot by tranquilizer darts, thrown on a pipe destroying an artery with bloody and graphic detail. A woman having his neck snapped, a man drowned, elevator shaft fight and explosions etc. People getting electrocuted and thrown to poles, set on fire and slashed with a crowbar. The skin and bones CGI is ahead of its time! I love the effects! Language 5/5 There are over 40 f words and other curse words. A couple 10 s words and other terms that you would see in R rated movies. Drugs 1/5. Barely at all. All I Could think of drugs is a man smoking a pipe and a restaurant with alcohol. Frightening Tense scenes 5/5 THIS IS CRAZY!!! ALL THE PAIN AND GLAMOURIZED VIOLENCE SHOWN ON SCREEN. SO CRAZY AND ALSO THERE ARE MURDERS AND ANIMAL TORTURE!!!. So I definitely agree with common sense's review. This is one of these reviews that I actually agree with. Rated R for Strong sexual content nudity language and strong graphic violence. The film's theme is what would you do if you had those powers?
simpleseth
simpleseth Adult
July 20, 2013
age 18+

"Hollow Man" was a hollow movie

An idea well executed has potential, which hangs on the outcome of the script. We're aware that Andrew W. Marlowe has written good work (i.e. "Air Force One"), however, his writing for this film seemed to be cliquie and rushed without ANY thought or patience. This movie just disappoints and fools you into thinking that the special effects make it a great film, which is not the case. The characters are flat, the writing is uninspiring, and the ending was predictable. Do yourself a favor and just skip it!
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Scientist Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) and his colleagues Linda (Elisabeth Shue) and Matt (Josh Brolin) are working for a top-secret military department, trying to develop an invisibility potion. Pressured by his superior, Caine tests the serum on himself even though he's not certain that it's in a final form. Caine begins suffering serious side effects that transform him into a killer.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This disappointing thriller was directed by Paul Verhoeven, the Dutch-born filmmaker with a reputation for strong violence and sexuality. Like his previous films, this movie makes no concession to young viewers. The gruesome opening scene is enough to give kids nightmares for weeks. Immediately after, we see scientist Sebastian Caine peeping out his window at a naked woman. It almost seems that Verhoeven is making a point of warning parents right away that any kids in the audience should immediately be ushered out.

Even for mature viewers, though, Hollow Man is a flop. The notion of confronting the dark fantasies that might be unleashed if we could become invisible is intriguing, but it's never taken past cheap (and nasty) titillation here. Caine quickly becomes too lunatic for us to empathize with his plight. Most of the movie takes place in a cramped research facility, avoiding the intriguing possibilities of what an invisible person might do in the everyday world. The finale, in particular, is a letdown -- Sebastian systematically murders his colleagues to keep them from exposing him.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the film's themes compare to the current issues being raised about pharmaceutical drug companies.

Movie Details

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