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The Empty Man
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The Empty Man

2020
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
2h 17m
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Avg Percentile 45.29% from 309 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(309)
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Rated 25 Oct 2020
35
27th
I dreamed of an empty movie, to be watched in empty theaters, only to be remembered as an empty experience in empty heads. Thank you, 2020.
Rated 24 Jan 2022
80
81st
Ooh, yes, I liked this. The prologue is a great mini horrormovie on its own, and once it turns into an investigation into an urban legend related disappearance that slowly morphs into cosmic-horror-creeping-into-our-reality, I was locked in. Features one scene straight out of my nightmares (the people around the campfire bit) which I hated/appreciated. My kind of slow moody horror that doesn't deflate with every reveal.
Rated 30 Mar 2021
35
6th
In a way James Badge Dale is perfectly cast in 'The Empty Man' as he's an actor that always seems to look like he's a few IQ points below whatever discussion or situation he is facing on screen. This glacially paced horror/mystery doesn't know whether to focus on being a supernatural slasher or a more grounded tale about demonic cults. It tries to do both and as a result it fails to pull off either. Despite some cool shots, once the credits rolled I was left feeling like the titular character.
Rated 22 Mar 2021
80
85th
Creepypasta existential horror with a bit of K Kurosawa, a bit of Fincher, a bit of cosmic despair kind of hard to convey and also a bit of dumb jumpscares sometimes getting in the way of the procedural vibe. Don't know what the hell happened in the muddled, too revealing third act, but I don't mind such a deliciously bloated horror story about a cult devoted to nothingness - cancel yourself, nothing matters, just try to be one with the higher conscience - and flesh being created out of thought.
Rated 25 Jan 2022
70
53rd
I went years not knowing what a tulpa was, than I watched the third season of Twin Peaks and was bludgeoned with the concept and here I am again getting just clobbered. I didnt learn anything, I refuse. Way too long but if it were any shorter it would be total nonsense. The wettest whispering.
Rated 03 Nov 2020
40
23rd
Almost a total failure as a story. Some novel themes are not enough to redeem an otherwise mostly generic, overpadded horror flick. The protagonist discovering a [redacted] on the bridge was cool. The chase scene at the end of the second act was cool. But my appreciation for those rare, interesting moments is overwhelmed by boredom. Also, the muddy and confusing third act "reveal" completely lost me because I don't know what the filmmakers were trying to convey.
Rated 22 Jul 2021
80
85th
Bruh, I love myself some cosmic horror. I didn't know what to expect when I started watching but a lot of the elements in this movie are just the kind of horror that I really enjoy. The ending was messy, but overall I really enjoyed the mood, the visuals and the lore. There are not enough Lovecraftian type horror things out there.
Rated 02 Oct 2021
74
64th
It gets a little convoluted and needed some tightening, but there are flashes of greatness. I'll be keeping an eye out for future David Prior films. When his name popped up on screen, I thought David A. Prior of Deadly Prey fame finally got his shit together and made a competent movie, but it's a different dude.
Rated 07 Mar 2022
67
52nd
Some fantastic moments both in structure (the opening, the campfire) and in execution (the swooping shot from map to road) can't quite save what is ultimately a movie that runs over two hours and whose main premise is if you blow in a bottle you find on a bridge The Empty Man will not only appear to you but kill you, like some sort of Candyman dare mixed with The Ring's seven days sans four of them. It's still worth watching for some of those highlights though.
Rated 28 Mar 2021
60
42nd
The screenplay bounces back and forth between familiar horror and extremely convoluted mystery, making it a bit unfocused considering the run time. There are some really good scenes in here, but the story isn’t very gripping to carry it along. The long opening is creepy and really helps set the mood. David Prior certainly makes a case for himself as a director to keep an eye on, which is probably what makes this film above average.
Rated 01 May 2021
10
4th
I want to cut American kids some slack from my decrepit vantage point but I can't help my disappointment at the fact that corny campfire stories like this one still scare them. Perhaps it's to their credit that I expect more from this generation. The film is tediously long and really struggles to develop and cram in the supernatural horror tropes, but the result is meandering, confused and silly.
Rated 27 Jun 2021
70
65th
When I watched the trailer, I thought that I would either straight up hate it, or that it would be good for a laugh, and I was very pleasantly surprised. See it for the creepy prologue, the excellent cinematography, Prior's confident direction and the very good lead performance by Dale.
Rated 25 Jul 2021
80
80th
This is incredibly competent horror the likes of which I haven't seen in a very long time. Amazingly engaging mystery and superb atmosphere. I was glued to the screen to the very end, despite the length, and it dominated my thoughts for weeks after. Only reason I don't rate it even higher is that several important plot threads are left hanging in the conclusion, which comes very close to unravelling entirely. A lesser movie I would savage for that, but there's no denying how engrossing it is.
Rated 30 Jul 2021
6
31st
An okay movie with some interesting ideas. The prologue was the most entertaining part for me.
Rated 22 Oct 2021
80
63rd
Opening with a stunningly creepy prologue, the film suggests at this point it is careful to subvert and enrich a typical urban legend story with a bit more philosophy than most other similar films. The story does get too invested in itself as the film clumsily stumbles its way to an otherwise logical horror conclusion. A slightly different and more rewarding horror film than usual.
Rated 21 Jan 2022
50
10th
I was tricked into thinking this was a Buddhist horror movie. It’s not, it’s just a bunch of nihilism. Buddhist emptiness and nihilistic emptiness are two very different concepts. This is all pretty stupid stuff, but there are some decent sequences of slow rising tension. Too bad the payoffs are so consistently bad, sometimes verging on unintentionally funny. It’s like a Sergio Leone movie where, at the moment of truth, everyone’s gun misfires.
Rated 23 Jan 2021
70
76th
It starts as a really bad 80's slasher movie but once you pass that part it becomes quite interesting.
Rated 06 Apr 2021
95
96th
This is what happens when producers know they're about to get fired and they have a talented director with a weird but good script that needs funding. They knew it wouldn't get appreciated at release but they also knew that it had the potential to become something different, something good. So they funded it, because they had nothing to lose. And Prior delivered, this is definitely on its way to become a great cult movie.
Rated 24 Apr 2021
30
0th
yetişkin düzeyinde bir korku, gerilim filmi olmamış. Film çok uzun ve sıkıyor.
Rated 23 Jun 2021
86
73rd
Surprisingly solid horror flick. The opening scene alone was a great horror movie.
Rated 28 Jul 2021
8
70th
Didn't mind the runtime. Strong opening, solid middle, losing its way a bit in the last act. Still entertaining and fun.
Rated 25 Sep 2021
50
48th
Liked it far more than I imagined I would. Not sure I can explain why too well without risking spoilers though
Rated 06 Oct 2021
80
91st
The best compliment I can pay is that its unnerving moments rival the best horror movies of all time. And there are many of these moments. The whole production has an unfocused Ari Aster vibe. Not all of the right buttons are pushed all of the time, there are too many elements in play, and the final twist is a bridge too far. That all said, any horror fan, of any sub-genre even, will find something to like, maybe even something to love.
Rated 22 Oct 2021
77
46th
Something of an ode to Hereditary but lacks that emotional punch. Maybe the quality of the acting isn't quite there or the pace of the story is a little too slow, but after a killer introductory vignette, it meanders its way into a kind dull been-there-done-that yarn. Still an admirable attempt at steering away from the worst of horror conventions.
Rated 02 Nov 2021
85
59th
I don't watch trailers so I just go by synopsis I find. Popped this one and at first I thought I was watching a different movie than I read the synopsis for. The epilogue is pretty long and can be it's own little short. But I really enjoyed this movie, has plenty of creepy bits which are my favourite things in a horror movie.
Rated 29 Jan 2022
80
89th
Superb atmosphere of nihilistic dread from start to finish. Cinematography and soundtrack merge into a perfectly unnerving mood. I loved the vague, weird, confusing ending, almost random edits of the main character breaking down. James Badge Dale's sweaty unraveling is played very well.
Rated 01 Feb 2022
60
40th
Baffling! Gotta love the concept of a person being made up by the sheer power of thought! I believe it's called...fiction.
Rated 06 Feb 2022
8
25th
It was very meh. For a directors first big project i mean, yeah good for him, he technically did everything right. He knew how to set a scene right, it was acted fine, the few scary bits were done pretty well, he definitely acheived setting a tone........... it just wasnt anything making it meaty. It felt very mundane. this whole premise probably could have been done in 45 minutes and maybe that 45 minutes would have been awesome. But this? ......... nah. structurally sound but a big nothing.
Rated 08 Feb 2022
50
45th
When Slenderman meets Scientology
Rated 14 Feb 2022
84
80th
3. The Empty Man (2020) Geçen sene sevgili @kum_kitabi önermişti listeme almıştım, @Chris_Stuckmann da hatırlatınca izledim, bence muazzam bir korku filmi. Tekrar izleyeceğim.
Rated 21 Mar 2022
70
44th
It had two hours to get really lovecraftian and it squandered it. A shame
Rated 27 May 2022
21
11th
Mildly entertaining prologue, but after that the film becomes just another forgettable entry in the "teen urban legend is actually real" horror sub-genre. Besides the complete lack of any genuine scares, and a lame monster that becomes less interesting as the story progresses, there are some truly stupid twists that make this an especially bad film. Empty Man, Empty Movie.
Rated 20 Sep 2022
83
85th
Way cooler than the PSI predicted. I was rooting for it to stick the landing but felt it came up a bit, well, empty. Very intriguing ride for the most part, though!
Rated 30 Sep 2022
60
33rd
this bitch empty, YEET!
Rated 14 Nov 2022
31
9th
There are some moments of genuine tension and the prologue on its own is fantastic. The problem is everything else, mostly middlebrow "nihilistic" bullcrap; not helped at all by Dale's mostly sleepwalked performance.
Rated 17 Jan 2023
70
75th
Birden çok fazla öyküsü olan 1 film. The Ring ile Final Destination karışımı. Bütan'a giden 4 gezgin, 1 mağarada Empty Man'i bulur. Dağcılar ölür. Fakat bu olay dalga etkisi yaratıp Amerika'ya sıçrar. James Badge Dale'in harika oynadığı film, 2 saatten fazla süresine rağmen izletiyor. Karanlık yapısı Candyman'i andırsa da, olayın iç yüzü çok karmaşık. Filmin sonunda, boş adam vücut değiştiriyor. Arkası yarın. Devam filmini bekliyoruz. İki felak bir nas oku. Hiçbirşey olmaz.
Rated 03 May 2023
60
45th
Warhammer orcs but with mlm cult vibe on top. The movie could have benefitted from being shorter.
Rated 06 Jul 2023
65
34th
The prologue is an excellent horror short, sadly everything after slowly but surely devolves into something quite crap.
Rated 26 Oct 2023
73
54th
A very strong cold (literally) open, a bloated middle, and a very effective last 20 minutes makes The Empty Man far better than I thought it would be going in. The photography is very reminiscent of Fincher and the cold atmosphere serves the story well.
Rated 22 Jan 2024
8
65th
Creepy creepy creepy movie. I found it original, disturbing, and bleak. What Satanism is to Christianity, this movie's core ideas are to Buddhism: it takes ideas of 'interdependence' and 'the illusion of self', and twists them into pitch-black funhouse mirror versions of themselves. The horror of the movie is the horror of the idea that reality is unknowable, and your self is an illusion. Marketing did this movie dirty: it's not a creepypasta or a monster movie, it's existential, surreal horror.

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