With the new guidelines for social distancing, each theatre can only fit a small number of people. Buying multiple tickets at once ensures sitting with your desired group, but the nearest person will be at least 6 seats away. Honestly, I preferred it like this. Having a seat to my left to put my jacket on? Yes please. It also meant less noise and less disturbances from the audience.
At times, it felt like I was the only one in the theatre, which definitely added to the thrilling nature of David Prior’s new horror-thriller title The Empty Man.
THE EMPTY MAN (2020)
After a group of teens from a small Midwestern town begin to mysteriously disappear, the locals believe it is the work of an urban legend known as The Empty Man. As a retired cop investigates and struggles to make sense of the stories, he discovers a secretive group and their attempts to summon a horrific, mystical entity, and soon his life—and the lives of those close to him—are in grave danger.
20th Century Studios
Going into this film, I expected a psychological thriller about kidnapping. That was mostly due to my own ignorance… and reading the wrong movie caption, but nonetheless, I did not expect to come out of it with more questions than I had going in.
Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Honestly, this film had me reeling. I love a good, meaty plot, especially if it confuses me to the point of tears.
Bringing an urban legend to life, The Empty Man sent me back into my early school-days, bloody-Mary type style. It had me angry at one of the main characters for being so damn predictable, and then even more angry when she ended up being completely unpredictable.
It kept me up at night, googling theories and explanations. I slept with a nightlight on.
With compelling characters and an intriguing story, The Empty Man will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Content Warning (CW): suicide, death, hanging, animal death, blood, jump scares, gaslighting, scars/implication of self-harm, possession, flashing lights (at end), mild sexual content (no nudity)
My rating: 8/10.
I would watch it again, I liked the cast, the filmography in general was pleasant, and I enjoyed the plot. The only problem I had was how unclear things were at times, which I won’t get into spoiling, but you’ll understand if you watch it. Halfway through the film, I already hoped there would be a sequel, or even a prequel. By the end, I just wanted to know what was going on.