Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bloody violence, some sex in disappointing sci-fi chiller.
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The Empty Man
What's the Story?
In THE EMPTY MAN, it's 1995, and four hikers explore a valley in Bhutan. One tumbles into a crevice and falls under some kind of spell, resulting in the deaths of his three friends. Years later, in 2018, a group of teens engages in a ritual in which they blow into an empty bottle while on a bridge, thus summoning "The Empty Man." Most of them wind up dead, hanging under the bridge, but one, Amanda (Sasha Frolova), vanishes. Amanda's mother, Nora (Marin Ireland), calls upon her friend, a former cop named James (James Badge Dale), to help. His investigation brings him to a cult called Pontifex, which worships the idea of nothingness ("nothing exists"). Little does he know that the mystery goes even deeper.
Is It Any Good?
This long, slow-burn sci-fi tale takes its simple "urban legend" idea into ambitious territory, but, by the time it wraps up, it all makes too little sense to justify sitting through it. Directed and co-written by David Prior, The Empty Man startles with its extra-long prologue about the four hikers, spending several days with them, developing character, etc., all to end it with a shock. But once all the pieces of the overall story arc come together, it turns out that all that time wasn't particularly important after all. "Empty" isn't just part of the movie's title.
Prior, who previously worked making short, behind-the-scenes documentaries for feature films like David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, seems to be channeling Fincher on The Empty Man. The movie is, admittedly, beautifully and spookily designed, with fine, unsettling uses of space and sound, especially when James starts poking around in Pontifex's inner sanctum. And its dialogue about reality and nothingness tickles the brain. Overall, the movie definitely rises above cheap quickies like The Bye Bye Man and Slender Man, which tried to cash in on similar "urban legends." But whatever goodwill the movie builds up is largely squandered with a big "that's it?" of an ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Empty Man's violence. How intense is it? How did it make you feel? Do you think the story could have been told with less violence?
How is sex depicted? What values are imparted?
How are drinking and smoking shown? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
What's the appeal of scary movies? Why would people sometimes want to be scared?
Is there anything to the idea of reality not actually existing? What do you think of this idea?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 23, 2020
- On DVD or streaming : January 10, 2021
- Cast : Stephen Root , James Badge Dale , Marin Ireland
- Director : David Prior
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : 20th Century Fox
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Book Characters , Fantasy
- Run time : 137 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, disturbing images, language, some sexuality and nudity
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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