From what I’ve read The Empty Man (2020) is the last film to feature the 20th Century Fox logo at the start. The film itself was released without much fanfare after Disney acquired Fox; it’s sitting there waiting for you on Disney Plus if you’re in the mood for a moody horror epic. Based on a graphic novel (by Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey) that creates its own urban legend – something shared between teenagers and attributed to a mystery figure, “The Empty Man” (I mean, when I heard the title, I thought it was a cash-in on Slender Man or something). The movie’s smart move is to approach it as an investigative procedural. James Badge Dale plays an ex-cop security guard haunted by tragedy who is helping out a friend by tracking down their missing daughter. Cue lots of hand-held torch shining through dark spaces, X-Files style. The story keeps you off-kilter, particularly from its lengthy prologue and the way the investigation develops, morphing sub-genres. Plot points and visual styles reference lots of different horror movies but the film has its own vibe. While I wasn’t totally blown away by the ending and its pay-off, I was still impressed overall by The Empty Man’s enveloping atmospheric mood and some very effective and eerie sequences. Dale is great in the lead; in the past, I sometimes found him too much or over the top in roles – here, he’s right on the ball as the audience’s entry point into peeling back “the empty man” ghost tale. Perfect use of Stephen Root in a supporting role (“We can’t indict the cosmos.”). Great use of lightness and darkness in the cinematography. Directed and edited by David Prior. Available to stream on Disney Plus and rent/buy on iTunes. Recommended.
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