A friend hurriedly rappels down to find the young man seated and staring at a terrifying skeleton. He wanders off, only to fall into a crevice. Four friends are hiking in Bhutan in 1995 when one of them hears a sound in the distance that only he can hear. “The Empty Man” draws comparisons to junky studio fare like “ The Bye Bye Man” and “ Slender Man” but this is a far more ambitious and accomplished piece of work than its reputation.ĭavid Prior’s film sets itself apart from the typically rushed Hollywood genre flick by allowing itself a 22-minute prologue that’s remarkably effective (even if it does add to the bloated 137 minutes total). Advertised, however slightly, as a traditional horror film, this is a truly surreal and strange piece of work, anchored by some top-notch craft elements, but weakened a bit by a bloated running time and a conclusion that likely left the few people who saw it in theaters more annoyed than thrilled (hence the startling D+ on CinemaScore). While it’s clear as to what scared studio heads about this adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, those same issues are almost certain to build a cult following around this sometimes striking and memorable studio oddity. So while it’s nice to say that we approach all films with the same blank slate of critical thought, I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting much from “The Empty Man,” now finally available on VOD after so much struggle to get here. Let’s just say that the list of worthwhile movies that sat on the shelf for years and were then dumped into theaters with almost no promotion and no critics screenings is incredibly short. Sometimes a film’s trajectory from inception to viewers can impact expectations.
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