An invisible man, Daniel Westin, enters a hospital, checks the operating schedule, and then goes to a surgical theater where plastic surgeon Nick Maggio is performing a skin graft. Daniel goes up to the gallery overlooking the room., and figures that Nick is the only one whocan help him. Sitting down, Daniel waits for Nick to finish and thinks about what he has done.
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Daniel is out jogging and returns home. He joins his wife Kate in the kitchen, and they kiss before she heads off to work. Later, Daniel drives to his job at the Klae Corporation, a think tank. He has been working on teleportation using laser beams, andthe corporation put up the money for a prototype. In the lab, Daniel kisses Kate. She tells him that their boss, Walter Carlson, called a few minutes ago asking for a progress report. Daniel wishes that they could stall Walter a little longer, and then goes to see him.
Desperate for the funds necessary, Daniel meets with Walter. Walter needs results, and Daniel insists that they’ve only just begun. His boss doesn’t believe it, pointing out that Daniel has been working on teleportation for eight months. He demands that Daniel reveal his results and he reluctantly agrees. Walter, Daniel, and his assistant Rick Steiner go to the lab and Daniel explains the process. He borrows Walter’s pen and Kate places it on the platform. Daniel activates the prototype and the pen disappears. Walter complains that all they have is a laser disintegrator, which the government already has.
Daniel picks up the now-invisible pen and demonstrates that it can still write. He offers the pen to Walter, who realizes what has happened. Daniel says that he didn’t want to say anything until he knew the process was stable, and they’ve had some success in making rabbits invisible. Walter wonders if it will work on a man, and Daniel admits that it’s possible. Whatever they make invisible spontaneously reappears after several hours, and they haven’t determined why. Walter figures that it’s the ultimate weapon, and Daniel angrily reminds him that he gave his guarantee that Daniel wouldn’t have to work on weapon systems anymore. As they argue, Rick interrupts and says that they should honor their commitment. After a moment, Walter agrees and says that he’ll get as much non-military funding as Daniel needs.
As they go, Walter tells Rick that he wants a daily progress report on Daniel’s work and increased security. He has his receptionist get General Turner on the phone. When Rick reminds Walter of his promise, Walter tells him to not be an ass.
Daniel and Kate continue working, making rabbits invisible after putting belled collars on them. He and Kate confirm that the time it takes animals to return to visibility is unpredictable, and they develop a serum that gives them control over the process. The couple goes out for dinner and Daniel scribbles down an idea about the serum. He figures that they can modify it so it only works on cancer cells, letting them detect them when they turn visible before the patient. Kate warns her husband that he can’t keep jumping from one project to another because nothing will get finished. Daniel insists that it’s how he works, and Kate says that they need more of each other’s time away from the lab. He puts away his work and asks what she’d like to do, and Kate suggests that they go home.
Later at home, Kate wakes up to discover that Daniel is at his desk working. Once she goes back to sleep, Daniel dresses and goes to the lab, determined to make himself invisible. At the lab, Daniel inserts the activation mechanism and turns on the laser device. He then stands on the platform and becomes invisible. He walks out of the institute past the security guard, who hears the footsteps but sees no one.
The next morning, Daniel arrives home from his jog and goes to the kitchen where Kate is having breakfast. She he moves her coffee cup away and then takes a sip, and Kate realizes what he’s done. Furious, she smashes the cup and says that he had no right to experiment on himself. Daniel insists that he had to do it, and says that he feels fine. He asks Kate to drive him to the lab so he can try the serum on himself before the invisibility wears off.
Once Walter and Rick join them in the lab, Daniel puts on a robe since his clothes will appear later than the rest of him. he then injects himself with the serum and he turns visible. Kate complains about Daniel’s showboating and storms off, and Walter asks him to come by his office later to discuss funding.
Later, Daniel arrives at Walter’s office and finds Turner and his staff there. Walter says that the work was too important not to let the military know, and there was nowhere else to get the funding. Daniel insists that he won’t make a weapon, insisting that any military is the wrong hands. Walter admits that the military has been funding them all along, and Daniel accuses him of selling him out. The Klae Corporation owns everything that Daniel produces, and Daniel starts to walk out. Walter sends two guards to remove Daniel and Kate from the premises and keep them out.
Later at home, Daniel tells Kate what happened. He admits that he should have listened to herself, but Kate points out that it would have happened sooner or later regardless. Rick comes by and warns Daniel that he’ll have to budge because Walter won’t. he says that he came on his alone to beg Daniel to reconsider, but Daniel refuses. Daniel plans to destroy his work rather than let it fall into the military’s hands, and Rick warns that Walter won’t let him. He shows Daniel a car parked outside, and Daniel discovers that the phone is tapped when he tries to call out. Rick says that Daniel’s only chance is to fight Walter from the inside, and Daniel says that he needs time to think. Once Rick leaves, Daniel watches him go over to the car. He then tells Kate that it’s his only chance and slips out the back and down the street.
At the Klae building, Daniel sneaks past the security guard and into the building, but unwittingly sets off an eyebeam alert. He calls Walter and warns him that they have an intruder. Walter and the military go to the lab, and Walter tells security that he wants Daniel apprehended but no violence.
Daniel gets to his lab and pockets the serum, and then uses the prototype to make himself invisible. However, the device goes into overload and explodes. The invisible Daniel destroys the activation mechanism just as the security guards break down the door. Walter has them call the guards to prevent Daniel from escaping, and then calls on the scientist to escape. He explains that Daniel is invisible and they join hands to sweep the room. Daniel throws a stool at them and runs out, gets into a jeep, and drives away. He smashes through the front gate, and Walter and the security team arrive.
After ditching the jeep, Daniel returns home and discovers that Walter and Rick are there. He starts to become visible and, realizing there’s nothing he can do, goes to a motel and checks in. Daniel then calls Kate despite the tap and tells her that he’s all right. He suddenly winces in pain and hang sup, and then staggers to the mirror. Shocked, Daniel watches as he begins to fade out. He injects himself with the serum but it doesn’t work and he screams in pain.
A guest tells the clerk that he’s heard screams, and they knock on Daniel’s door. When there’s no answer, the clerk lets himself in and finds the room tornup. An invisible Daniel slips out the door while the two men find his discarded clothing.
Once the pain stops, Daniel jumps aboard a truck. He breaks into a grocery store for food and shelter, but sets off an alarm and is forced to flee when the police arrive. A blind man comes along and hears Daniel following him. He arrives home and opens the front door, and Daniel tosses a rock into the bushes. When the blind man goes over to investigate, Daniel slips into the house.
The blind man soon hears someone in the house with him, and Daniel asks for something to eat. Taking pity on him, the man invites Daniel to sit down by the fire and then gets him a ham sandwich. As he makes it, he makes small talk and then grabs a gun and shoots when Daniel runs. The blind man manages to score a hit, and Daniel throws an ash tray at the wall to distract the man while he gets out the door... leaving a trail of blood behind.
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At the hospital, Nick finishes the surgery and complains that they didn’t use his dermaplex. Once Nick goes, the wounded Daniel follows him out to his car and calls to him by name. He grabs Nick to show that he’s there, and explains that he’s been shot. Daniel insists on going to Nick’s place rather than the hospital, and Nick takes him home. The doctor gives Daniel the antiseptic to do it himself, and then supplies gauze and a tetanus shot. As he works, Daniel explains that anything entering his body becomes invisible, and anything leaving it becomes visible. Nick gets him some old clothes and gloves to wear and a drink, and Daniel explains what happened. He insists that he has to get back to Kate, and asks Nick to build him a face using his experimental dermaplex.
Nick finally agrees and the next morning, he applies the dermaplex to Daniel’s face and hands. He has a special set of contact lenses made for Daniels’ eyes, and applies everything. Nick then fits a hairpiece, applies makeup, and puts caps on Daniel’s teeth.
Once the work is complete, Daniel takes a flight home and rings the door. He tells Kate that no one is watching the house, and explains that he was with Nick. When Kate touches his face and realizes that he’s wearing a mask, and Daniel tells her that he’s still invisible. To become visible again he has to restart the project and figure out where he made a mistake. Kate finally gets hold of herself and agrees, and Daniel says that he’s going back because he has to. If they run then they’d do so for the rest of their life. Daniel finally calls Walter and arranges a meeting.
At Walter’s home, Walter asks why Daniel changed his mind. Daniel claims that he decided that running didn’t solve anything and he was away fromhis wife and his work. Walter doesn’t believe him, and points out that spies have learned of the process and will try to get Daniel... dead or alive. He wants Daniel’s word that he’ll stick with it, and Daniel promises. As Daniel goes, he asks Walter to remove the surveillance off of Kate. Walter says that he already did and figures that Kate is imagining it.
Daniel drives home and finds Rick and another man holding a gun on Kate. Rick says that it has nothing to do with Walter, and they’ve been watching Kate all along. Kate has told them that Daniel has completed his work, and they plan to take Kate to force Daniel’s cooperation. His employers are paying him $10 million, and he and his associate take the couple out to a waiting van.
As the van driver heads to the airport, Daniel signals to Kate and then starts removing his clothing and then his map. The driver pulls over and Daniel gets out, and Rick goes to the escorting car. Meanwhile, Daniel attacks the van driver and throws him out, and then drives off. Rick and his people follow them and close in, and Daniel pulls over and tells Kate to get out and call Walter once their pursuers pass.
Daniel drives on and then brakes the van to a halt. The pursuing car slam into the van and they both explode. Later, the EMTs take the bodies away and Walter arrives. Kate is waiting and Walter wants to know what one of the dying men said about Daniel being invisible. He points out that they didn’t find Daniel’s body, and Kate realizes that her husband escaped. When Walter grabs her, Daniel knocks him down. An officer runs over and Walter claimed that he tripped.
Daniel tells Walter to give Kate the keys to his car, and says that they’ll talk when he’s ready. As they go, Walter insists that he’s on Daniel’s side, and Daniel says that hopes so. They get into the car and go home.
Written by Gadfly on May 28, 2016