Exploring The Mythical Fear of THE EMPTY MAN

[@RyanHollinger]

*HALLOWEEN IS HERE!! ... What spooky scary films, games and books are we consuming this year?!* If you want early access, ad-free versions of future videos, please consider supporting me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/ryanhollinger

[@AdahnFlorence]

He's empty because he didn't get his morning serving of Corn Flakes.

[@maxschechter4156]

Magnus Archives. Slow burn, but a good one

[@michaelhegwood9977]

Be My Cat a Film For Anne which is what the movie Creep and the Poughkeepsie Tapes tried to do.

[@anubusx]

Review Angel Heart Pi eXistenZ Razorback The Mcpherson Tapes The Mothman Prophecies.

[@anubusx]

Cannot wait for Halloween Ends.

[@daniamataka5377]

That scene of the mc seeing the crowd step towards him and his reaction being "Yeah, no." is the most relatable thing I've seen an mc do in a horror movie since ever.

[@piotrstolarz2089]

There's a very similar scene in "Nope" with the main character reacting the same way: "Nope".

[@incogniftoar3943]

Same! My favorite scene

[@MegaIkedog]

@@piotrstolarz2089 And Barbarian too.

[@danielbaier3717]

i think that is easily my favorite scene in the movie. This is easily the most realistic main character ive ever seen, just for him saying "Yeah, no" (which made me laugh my ass off) and driving away like "What the fuck just happened". i was like yeah this is a real dude, that is super believable

[@donnamurphy8551]

There's a scene in The Taking Of Deborah Logan where one of the film crew leaves. He saw some creepy stuff and peace-d out. When I saw that I was like, “Smartest character in a horror movie EVER.”

[@andrew232]

With how well horror is doing at the box office right now (Black Phone, Smile, Scream etc), it's actually heart-breaking to think that if this film came around just a little bit later, it could've gotten a proper theatrical run instead of being dumped on streaming with no fanfare. I love Empty Man but if it wasn't for good folks like yourself and Chris Stuckmann, me and the majority of the film's fans may never have even heard of it.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

Absolutely. Horror movies are doing kinda good now again. This movie deserved to have a theatrical run

[@ethanreynolds3522]

Yes. 2022 turning out to be a good year for horror. The new Hellraiser remake looks good. And I was worried that it would be a dud.

[@112523]

I honestly don't think it would've done much better. At to me it ain't a horror film. And as i went in expecting a horror. I was severely disappointed. If they sold it as a thriller it would've worked better for me. Not a bad movie but it also didn't do anything to me at all. Personally think the opening was the best part of the entire movie

[@CorbCorbin]

Smile? Good box office, for a bad movie, just creates more bad movies. There have been a few horror movies every year, that get theater runs, and do well. A24, and Blumhouse bank on them. The Empty Man, was just two long, for how little promotion it got. The movie needed to be promoted like the movies of Aster and Eggers. It just isn’t as well written as the movies by those two directors.

[@smolaether]

How do you forget Barbarian?

[@wstine79]

This was a better representation of Slender Man than the actual Slender Man movie.

[@Dmitrisnikioff]

I mean, it's not an SA shitpost

[@justaguyonyoutube4592]

Could you imagine if they made Slender Man on the same vein of that of The Empty Man? With the guy not actually being there but the belief of the guy making him feel as if he is?

[@Dmitrisnikioff]

@@justaguyonyoutube4592 aint that just irl tho

[@chrisbergmanniii59]

? This has nothing in common with anything like Slenderman.

[@medusastone2725]

I see what you're saying, and I actually agree. But maybe I'm just a pleb, because I still think the best Slender Man movie would've been "in 2009 Victor Surge created a monster. And now, it's coming for him".

[@crusaderdawn1642]

I remember seeing this movie in theaters with my friend, both of us expecting it to just be another Bye Bye Man or Slenderman to laugh at and joke about. But by about the midpoint when they get to the cabins me and him both just had a realization that this was far more than that. By the end all jokes had ended and we just absorbed the movie, fully invested in the insane story.

[@nexus6100]

I had a very similar initial reaction. Reading the title very much just made me think of the bye bye man and I fully expected the movie to be about that good. Very happy that my fiance insisted we give it a shot.

[@motherplayer]

Indeed. Damn mad at myself for having that be what drove me not to see it. I remember I had plenty of opportunities to do so on the big screen, but I thought it to be disposable fluff too.

[@TvTrollByIvy]

I saw this video about a tawainese movie called "incantation" and the comment section had people from the region explaining some aspects of the movie that just made the whole thing more clear and i kind of made a connection with this movie too: In "Incantation" they have this ritual where you offer you name to an entity and there are aspects of meditation and the concept of letting yourself, your identity and everything about you be essentially devoured. It is practiced on the real world as a thought experiment during meditation, to achieve some level of detachment, of letting go of mortal binds to reach enlightment and peace. So when the Pontifex guy talks about the Empty Man being a meditation tool, i remembered that and it made total sense to me, because such excercises and practices do exist. They are supposed to help you center yourself, control anxiety and clear you mind by projecting this empytiness or separation so you can tackle your issues more objectively. I think it's interesting to see these concepts, that usually actually help people, being used as tools in horror movies. When done right, it becomes horrifying and in theory, it's not hard to make it super scary (think about how foreign and potentially scary it sounds to "let yourself be devoured" for someone who has no clue this is just a thought experiment}. That makes the cult in the movie sound so much more believable and scary, because they clearly researched about meditation techniques and mythology related to it. There is enough real world stuff to bridge reality and supernatural.

[@wurmrave6831]

YES. THIS IS SUCH AN UNDERRATED HORROR FLICK!!! We need more empty man appreciation around here.

[@LynnLeFey1]

I went into this expecting a 'Candyman' vibe, and that mid-point turn where it became SO much more interesting with the existential horror and cult elements dragged it deep toward Lovecraftian horror. Some of the elements of emotion this created pinged with 'Annihilation' style horror. LOVED this movie!

[@megamcee]

I loved The Empty Man. The atmosphere and that scene with the cult around the fire were amazing

[@totorod]

Oh man, I’m using that fire dance scene in a Call of Cthulhu scenario!

[@MilaBrasseDeLAir]

Like a lot of people, I was tricked by the trailer into expecting a dumb horror movie à la Bye Bye Man, and tbh I went into the movie because I was tired that day... I did not get the shlock I was looking for, haha. Ended up really enjoying it, though, and I'm very happy you decided to share your thoughts with us ! Thanks :)

[@JBravoEcho09]

Same. I found it on HBOMax and shrugged saying "Why not?" and becoming increasingly interested in it as it went along.

[@saintejeannedarc9460]

I somehow stumbled on the backstory of making the movie and how poorly and misleading the trailer was. I don't watch horror anymore, but am a big fan of a good plot and psychological thrillers. It was totally worth it to watch what most consider a horror film, as it was so well done.

[@charlieboone1298]

Saw it for the first time last week and was absolutely blown away. Although there is a bit of ambiguity, it's definitely a Lovecraft movie. The cultists doing the fire-dance ritual were chanting the name of Nyarlathotep, and the Empty Man's true form, as seen when it's possessing James at the end, is pretty-much the same as the most popular depictions of the character. I'd go so far as to say it's the best Lovecraft film that's been made.

[@dumkaisachakal6341]

Yes thank you i knew i wasn't the only one that connected those dots with Nyralathotep

[@quannguyenle9775]

me too, the moment the empty man avatar appear at the end that i can make a guess that is nyarlathotep

[@leia3772]

I only found out about this movie because of Chris Stuckman, and couldn't find it anywhere! I think it took me 5-6 months to find it on HBOMax and whoa is this movie something. It's not for everyone but I really loved it! I remember as the credits were rolling how I just sat on my couch in the dark trying to take it all in. It really leaves an impression on you.

[@dohlecarnett1866]

The Empty Man isn't perfect but I absolutely adore it for trying to be a bit 'deeper' than so many other horror flicks. I've just seen levels of this depth in good horror audio dramas (you should cover those btw Ryan - audio is the far superior medium for horror I have to say). My issue with the film is its very slow place that made me fall asleep after a long (Halloween) day. I'll definitely watch it again.

[@JoyfulOrb]

Recommendations for good horror audiodrama? I've done The White Vault, Pseudopod, The Last Movie, what am I missing?

[@dohlecarnett1866]

@@JoyfulOrb tons, mate! The Magnus Archives, The Harrowing, Video Palace and for some great anthology check out Wrong Station and Knifepoint Horror.

[@heartpng]

@@JoyfulOrb Archive 81 is so good (and nothing like the netflix adaption). the story evolves every season and everything from The Golden Age onward is some of the best horror podcasting out there. it also has a lot of ritual magic systems similar to the empty man, though not as nihilistic.

[@jamesmalik3355]

@@dohlecarnett1866 I don't know if you've listend to "The Fisherman" audiobook written by John Langan. My favorite piece of lovecraftian horror in recent years. do yoy have any podcast like that to reccomend?

[@saintejeannedarc9460]

I'd be mostly the opposite, to fall asleep listening to just audio (it's a thing w/ me). I loved the slow pace of the movie. I'm not a horror fan at all anymore, but it was such a compelling story and it unfolded slowly, as good stories do.

[@fconstraints]

Always happy to see this movie get recognition. Total underrated gem. I feel so bad for everyone involved and all the work they put into it for it to be neglected and discarded the way it was by the studio.

[@optronixatron]

I decided to watch this movie on a whim, and found myself enthralled by it. I was not expecting how unpredictable The Emptyman was, and found myself laughing like a small child at an amusement park as each twist was revealed. By the end of the movie, I found myself just gushing to anyone who would listen about how much I loved this movie. It's truly a hidden gem.

[@saintejeannedarc9460]

I was the same way gushing and promoting the movie. I'm not even a fan of horror anymore, and think of this more as a supernatural thriller. Even those are usually too much anxiety for me, but I crave an original movie that stands out and is well done. This had aspects of some stand out movies that don't come along too often, like Fallen, Seven and Vanilla Sky. It had bits of all those, w/ its own twist. A great movie. I got hooked on the backstory of how hard it was to make and how it almost got shelved forever, and was shelved near 5 yrs as it was. Then a crap trailer was tossed out w/no promotion and wrong time of year. The movie was a sleeper because of it. So many were surprised how good it is, and word of mouth got it the wider viewing it deserved. Though I think it could have been huge if handled well.

[@EditedByRents]

Thank you SO MUCH for covering this movie! I watched it because of Chris Stuckmann’s recommendation and I absolutely loved it (and since then, I was low-key waiting for your take on it). Quite possibly, this is my favourite horror film of this century yet (maaaybe along with REC). Please do more Lovecraftian-themed movies in future.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

"A string of mysterious deaths," he says over a YT trigger shot of a hanged body. Ryan, you're sense of dark humor never ceases to amaze me. 😅

[@RyanHollinger]

My favourite one was saying how the movie “peaked” during the mountain section.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@RyanHollinger Lmao I just heard that bit, well done Hoyever Man. 😉😆

[@alwaysxnever]

@@RyanHollinger well done sir. Solid scripting and presentation as always.

[@erikmchatton]

The thing that the cult worships, the thing that takes over James in the end, is Nyarlathotep. Knowing that makes a second watch very rewarding.

[@jackalope7774]

Came here to say this also. Haha. ✊

[@harrisonlee9585]

Three years later, and I'm still mad about how the original trailers made Empty Man look like your standard New 10s "Thing In The Dark" schlock, when it is very much not that.

[@FigmentForever]

I gave it the benefit of the doubt & it was my first post-lockdown theater experience. Theater was empty besides my wife & I and we were blown away. So glad I was able to snag an official DVD of it through RedBox to own - as it will likely never get a retail physical release 😞

[@DaiHachiHachi]

Bit of a late reply but I checked it out because Jay in a Half In The Bag episode mentioned it being nothing like the marketing sold it as, with a mild recommendation from what I remember. Probably one of the recaps they did that year.

[@BCMSi]

Good timing, I finally got to this one and Color Out Of Space last week! Someone made a point (on Reddit maybe?) I liked, that when he first runs into Amanda in the backyard, on first watch everything she says seems like angsty teen philosophy, but if you watch knowing the end, it changes the scene entirely and in reality it's more like she's doing diagnostics on her creation

[@whitedragoness23]

I think the whole film is the cult is keeping tabs on him and seeing how real he is and if he matched their tulpa they conceived. They needed to make sure he was a perfect vessel. I believe they made him with a tragic back story so eventually he would give himself up willingly to the antenna role becasue the pain was too much and it would be easier to give in.

[@dumkaisachakal6341]

I too got that Lovecraft vibe with the Nyralathotep looking empty man at the end

[@saintejeannedarc9460]

That's why this movie is so satisfying. Once you know the end, you really want to re-watch it and still get so much more out of a 2nd and even a 3rd watch after a bit too.

[@TheRedSign]

The Empy Man = Nyarlathoteb I TELL YA!!! 😱

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Yo this movie was such a trip. Not sure that twist made any sense, but it sure was a shocker. 😅

[@shfhsvomvolakis2318]

the twist was that the main protagonist was the empty man human avatar aka he was never a human

[@j.diamond6014]

@@shfhsvomvolakis2318 he understands it, doesn’t mean it makes sense

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

@@shfhsvomvolakis2318 Yeah I know what the twist was, I just don't know whether it actually made sense or not.

[@CorbCorbin]

@@shfhsvomvolakis2318 No. The twist is that they willed him into existence. The idea is to create an empty vessel, and the girl was his link to reality. It’s all just going on within their minds, until he manifests before them, just as they were willing to happen. The story is what was needed for the “man” to have identity, or illusion of self, free will, etc., which was part of how he becomes real.

[@shfhsvomvolakis2318]

@@TH3F4LC0Nx a ok. I think it make perfect sence. The main protagonist and the god like creature where the only "real" things in the world. The movie very strong implies that the world and everything else where part of its 'dream'

[@ubermenschbrent]

The ‘Empty Man’ is actually James whereas the blackened entity we see in the film is actually the Lovecraftian deity Nyarlathotep, who is essentially summoned through human thought. Pretty sure this was confirmed by the director too.

[@whitedragoness23]

I think I did read another comment say Nyarlathotwp was the god they were summoning. I couldn’t make out what they were saying in their chants. One chant they made clear was it was the receive/transmit one.

[@mattgilbert7347]

I wish the filmmakers hadn't shown that entity. It was the only real misstep in an otherwise excellent film.

[@sethwick8348]

@@mattgilbert7347 I thought so at first but as soon as it went Red Tongue/Nyarlathotep I was sold.

[@daddyinthestreetsenpaiinth9250]

No way the Persona dude

[@mrman6035]

​@@whitedragoness23 that means they're two different things ?

[@krishanubanerjee6955]

"You're OUR man. The Empty Man!" - Chilling, absolutely bone-chilling! This is existential horror at its finest! ♥♥♥

[@JustTheGems]

The Empty Man is a fantastic horror movie, and that first twenty minutes works as a great standalone short horror film, too.

[@MrMumbles710]

It's a shame that this movie is often confused with "The Bye Bye Man". This movie is a real gem

[@Hairahcaz2288]

Loved it in the first 10 minutes. Thanks so much for your thoughts!

[@anthonyluban2492]

I drunkenly watched this when it came out assuming it would be like a funny cringe movie to laugh at. Then I got hooked and then sobered up and then kept watching and fell in love. It was constantly reinventing itself and it made me feel like I was the main character, something I don't usually get from movies.

[@alexanderkantaris4376]

The possession scene at the end after the chase is pure nightmare fuel, absolutely brilliant.

[@shaterlemming2549]

The Empty Man is my favorite modern cosmic horror movie. I am very happy you covered this movie

[@WAProdthejohman]

This movie first gave me "Mothman prophecies" vibes and by the end took a turn into Lovecraftian territory that i didn't expect but i absolutely loved, it's a hidden gem imho

[@samporter2559]

So happy to see this movie being talked about!

[@jpaikmedia6972]

I think it would be really cool if you examined savageland! It’s a ‘found footage’ film except instead of video recordings it’s told through a documentary around an accused murderer and the thirty or so photographs he took while fleeing his doomed town from Something over the course of a single night.

[@jpaikmedia6972]

It’s really a movie that has more impact if you go in blind so I don’t want to say too much but it is possibly one of the bleakest and most upsetting films I’ve ever seen

[@athinadc]

i randomly watched this movie with my bf a few years ago, we like to watch bad/low budget horror movies so we just put this on cus we never heard of it but we were both like wtf this is actually really good? especially when we got to the part where the camera zooms out of the car driving and it turns into the map, such a sick transition. i was also really surprised by the end too, it was so awesome. so glad i gave it a try even though i initially expected it to be bad.

[@timwatchesmovies]

I just want a blu ray of this, I'd love to hear the director's commentary on it

[@TheDreamfinder99]

We the people demand a hard copy!! I so want to have this permanently in my collection.

[@keenangappa2493]

@@TheDreamfinder99 There is a disc copy that was exclusive to redbox, and you can buy it from there, if you can find a kiosk that still has a copy.

[@TheDreamfinder99]

@@keenangappa2493 Thanks! I’ve not used red box before 🤔. I will check!

[@saintejeannedarc9460]

It's crazy that no one really cashed in on the demand for this to be sold as a disk. It's apparently sort of sold, but hard to get.

[@aroha9090]

Loved this film, watched it multiple times. So glad you did this video. The Lovecraftian hint you drop at the beginning is really apt, because it really does seem like a stealth Nyarlathotep movie.

[@14thHourFilms]

My life will go incomplete if you never cover The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I’ve seen you visually mention it more than once! I just KNOW you have an insightful take on that one

[@RyanHollinger]

I have to see it again because I can’t remember it well

[@14thHourFilms]

@@RyanHollinger fair enough, my friend, love your videos as always!

[@FigmentForever]

I love that movie. It’s sad it gets overshadowed by every other A24 release.

[@whitedragoness23]

Cover it! I have never heard of it before!

[@14thHourFilms]

@@whitedragoness23 watch it! It’s very poetic horror

[@stustrock9755]

You were very generous in your review, which is one of the things I appreciate about your stuff. Personally, I came away from this movie baffled, because so many people have been recommending it so strongly. It's a tonal mess, overly long, but the ending reveal is where it all unravels. It makes the rest of the movie worse in hindsight, and it doesn't even work with what it's already established earlier in the movie. When I later read that even the director considers the final product a "rough edit," and the development of the movie went through studio hell, it all started to make sense. The Empty Man has threads of a good movie in it, but they're all tangled up in a mess rather than stitched together in a way that works.

[@pepeluisito2842]

You just did not get it, mate It makes almost perfect sense, and it's crafted with care, full of self-referential bits both visually and script wise... moreover, I'd bet a beer that the author loves Alan Moore, cause the Providence/From Hell/Watchmen vibes are intense

[@corydeceased]

I remember seeing a trailer for this & commenting "well it certainly seems empty..." Wow did I eat those words. It ended up being a rather fascinating film, 1 that I've gone on to recommend for multiple people (but with the caveat that you should see it twice, at least)

[@shainshartershwate7421]

3 times back to back or nothing at all

[@fw2345]

one of the greatest horror movies of the last 20 years. underrated instant classic.

[@julesking1303]

Honestly knowing about tulpas from a hella old Supernatural episode really lessens the impact of movies/other media involving them

[@MrMegatron85]

I absolutely adore this movie. I must've watched it about 20 times by now

[@mandalorianhunter1]

Ryan we are all empty on the inside. We are hollow.

[@jamesmeow3039]

I wish I was Kevin Bacon.

[@SilverQuartz13]

Not me. I got snacks.

[@julim2603]

October content, let's go! So excited for everything you have under your sleeve for this month🦇🎃 I remember the skeleton from this movie gave me some annihilation vibes

[@levprotter1231]

Reminds me of emptiness related psychosis. Theres a bunch of eastern related spirituality that lends itself very well to horror.

[@dustinweible]

Another interesting read of the ending of the film is that the lead isn't really a tulpa, but the cult and the Empty Man have been slowly distorting his reality and his psyche over the course of the film to where he believes it when he's told he is. They needed someone who had suffered his losses and grief because when the time came to convince him he's a tulpa, he would easier believe it since it would be better for his wife and kid to never have existed at all. All that pain goes away, leaving him empty, giving into the Empty Man completely. They couldn't create an Empty Man vessel out of thin air so they created one out of a broken man.

[@PaulRWorthington]

That's a great take.

[@CloudMountainJuror]

This was my interpretation too, or at least, one that I found quite possible. I like the ambiguity of whether they truly created him from thought, or if they just systematically gaslit him to the point where he would break and become “empty”. If they created somebody from nobody, or if they created nobody from somebody.

[@BaenaCarcosa]

Loved this movie - so glad I gave it a chance

[@FigmentForever]

Honestly, this is easily my favorite horror film of the last 5 years. The fact it hasn’t gotten any sort of physical release is so incredibly sad. Thankfully, RedBox was selling official DVD’s of the movie within a month of it hitting the rental boxes. I bought 5 copies to share with friends, & wish a company like Shout Factory or Arrow Films would get the rights for a proper Blu-ray release with deleted scenes/interview with the director & writer (who got his start working on David Fincher’s movies)/etc.

[@pinealdreams1064]

I love how Twin Peaks: The Return sort of opened the door for Tulpa's to become a thing in Western art.

[@theaverageDon]

11:50 personally, I just felt like I had more questions than answers. Although, when you consider the hinting at the Empty Man being a Cosmic Horror type being, then the ambiguity makes it more satisfying

[@midwestchaos5679]

I love this movie. It’s wild that the main idea of it is what if you weaponized The Secret?

[@ronankermit]

Thank you so much for covering this. After Stuckmann recommended it a couple years ago, I checked it out and it was quickly added to my top 10 list of cosmic horror movies. It definitely takes patience, but after the first 45 minutes or so, the tension (and investment) really is "edge of your seat". It was also inspiring to find out that it was basically the director's relatively pure vision, since the studio didn't care about it and just let him do his job. It really shows, and it far exceeds the source material (which I subsequently read) in terms of quality.

[@iandawson6461]

The Empty Man had to be my favorite suggestion of the last few years. A completely unassuming spooky movie that dives into existential, almost (thanks for the nod) cosmic horror. A folk tale that turns out to be true, but the true nature of the tale is deeper than first realized, to the point that our narrator learns he is in fact a main character in a story he didn't realize was being told.

[@pepeluisito2842]

Again: Providence vibes... and From Hell too. I'd bet 50 bucks that the director has read all Alan Moore

[@anastasx_]

Great so see you covering this film as I feel like this film deserves move attention. Your analysis of the ending actually made me re-assess my thoughts on it. Probably time for a rewatch!

[@bpb210]

The first 20 minutes of the movie are definitely the best (only) movie here. After the first setup in the mountains, I couldn't transition to the modern day stuff. You are correct in your analysis here.

[@mattgilbert7347]

Thank you for covering this. I, along with many other fans of your channel, had been at you for ages to apply the Hollinger treatment to this underrated gem.

[@ff-pj3de]

Convoluted ambitions is correct. Man, there was SO MUCH good stuff in there, but it goes all over the place on occasion. Might have been better as a series?

[@Kidcrowley]

Thanks for covering it, chris struckman also did this and it’s great to see it get the love it deserved

[@MindiB]

I agree with other commenters that this film deserves much more admiration (and viewership) than it has received. Clever, creepy, atmospheric, and with a vicious twist-it’s outstanding. Thanks for giving it some love!

[@agraciotti]

I've been asking for you to cover this film since forever. And you didn't disappoint. :) love this film. I'm still intrigued by the meaning and origin of that bizarre skeleton. Any thoughts?

[@Bojangus-]

It’s an anchor point for the Tulpa to be able to interact with this world. They state the Tulpa lives in a different dimension, so I doubt it’s the Tulpa’s body

[@whitedragoness23]

The guy who was naturally produced a antenna was later found by the cult people who needed someone to send the deity they worshipped signals or something. Paul is the guy who fell into the where the skeleton was. For reasons unexplained he fell into a coma, probably by the time he was found he seemed to not be fully in control of himself

[@ludviglidstrom6924]

The music is absolutely incredible, the scariest music I have ever heard. You can find it here on KZbin.

[@i3acca99]

Watched this last year on HBO max and loved it. Nice to see it’s getting the recognition it deserves. Love the videos Ryan!

[@FTrivews]

Love you finally did a video on The Empty Man, genuinely one of the best horror films In the last decade, obviously there are more technically competent/scary films that have been made, Hereditary for example, but this film pushed a number of my specific buttons. I think you are totally right to think of it as a commentary. "The empty man made me do it" and a ex cop with a tragic backstory are two examples of cliches the film uses, which becomes a meditation on cliche itself as the end of the film makes obvious. I think its actually a very political film in a non-didactic way, I think part of the commentary is on memeification of human social life under modern capitalism, the commodity under capitalism is like a virus, the language the spreads its logic in its very form. Feel like the film is at least in dialogue with that kind of thinking, the way ideas become infectious, both in the sense of it catching on and being a form of decay, the cliches are so obvious now that we can only recognise them as such, they no longer have weight and the films recognition of that fact in a way beyond using it for post-modern ironic humour (think Rick and Morty) actually gives the film a large amount of thematic weight. Sorry for the ramble i just love this movie and have thought about it a lot. Awesome video man, keep the content coming.

[@alexanon8345]

I do like Ryan but I wish he had the background to be able to approach the movie's philosophy from a little more contextually informed perspective. I think the movie is definitely trying to get at a postmodernist commentary along the lines of Baudrillard's theory of simulacra. I don't know enough about it personally to dive in real deep without doing further research but I truly hope someone more knowledgeable than me gets into it one day.

[@pseudonym6453]

you're a gem, Ryan, thanks for being here

[@externalsubway]

This is such an underrated gem! One of my favs now.

[@MrDrezzy007]

The camera movement in this movie is one of the creepiest i've seen in a long time. You kinda feel a presence at every slow moving frame.

[@grantkilday8750]

0:39 I love how Ryan says “CALLED James”, the foreshadowing is Beautiful

[@mei-senpai742]

Empty Man was one of the very few horror movies which actually made me disturbed and scared specially when we see the people of the pontifex society dancing around the fire while that terrifying ost plays

[@mconcepcion752]

One of my favorite horror films. The visuals and sound design are some of the best I've seen in any horror movie. It's shot and edited so well.

[@jonfreeman9682]

They had a decent budget of $16 million. So production quality was up there.

[@yazarogi]

Thank you for making this, this movie was an absolute pleasure to watch. Wish it had a physical media release.

[@mliwulanga]

Thank you! This movie is so haunting and so crazy, every time I watch it, I see something new. It is a bunch of crazy ideas all mixed together and somehow it works. Its long and its a crazy ride. It raises a lot of questions, maybe more than it answers. I love all of your videos, maybe this one most of all, because I love this movie.

[@matts3549]

You make this movie sound so interesting! I was worried it would be something else boring like “The Tall Man”, but now this is definitely on my list!

[@ulfingvar1]

It is a masterpiece, pure and simple. Love every second of it, and I can't wait for David Prior's next feature ('The Autopsy' in 'The Cabinet of Curiosity' is also Prior's).

[@jasonm.ashley261]

I watched this movie after hearing all the talk about it, and I did not expect what I got. I really enjoyed this movie. So much that I rewatch it fairly often to try and catch new hints I may have missed. Great video, great analysis. Keep it up!

[@patrickmckenna6391]

What a movie! The opening segment could be a mini movie in it's own right. We go from wilderness survival, to urban legend, to a scientology cult, to the Wicker Man, to HP Lovecraft. And yet, it follows a logic all of it's own and it all comes together at the end. One of my favourite horror movies of all time. Mind you, I am an art house horror obsessive!!!

[@bonejuice4280]

I was really hoping you would touch upon the Nyarlathotep similarities to the empty man's true appearance at the end of the film when he possess the main character. Nyarlathotep could also shape shift into anything so maybe there's a connection.

[@damion559]

my vote for next movie to cover stays on the Lovecraftian theme: Underwater i didnt think much about it when i read the premise and the cast but it honestly surprised me, plus on earth it doesnt get more terrifying than the bottom of the ocean (well except maybe the caves from the decent)

[@alwaysxnever]

I am so glad I gave that a watch. It was damn good.

[@adnanferdousleo9528]

Watched it a while a and I really couldn't appreciate the fact how much I am grateful to you for covering this movie in your channel . This movie just blew me away with its brilliance of mystical entity horrror

[@NASTAR01]

I was expecting you to drag the movie, so what a pleasent surprise that you didn't. The opening got me hooked as I was not expecting the film to boast serious tone, and beautifully executed sense of foreboding and dread. The shocking events of the prologue, and the shift to a new set of characters, was intriguing; and as the mystery developed I was very much invested. I found the ending fascinating, personally, and will probably go for another watch after this review/analysis.

[@kristensmith3129]

With how this was marketed, I actually had to pause the movie during the prologue to make sure I was watching the right movie. Really loved how well this was put together. It felt like 3 individual movies that tonally were so different but came together in a really fun way.

[@adswadsw11]

I needed a good ‘Hoyever’ after hurricane Ian, thanks so much Ryan!

[@viktorkrstic7017]

Man, it really excites me every time I see your video uploaded. Keep it going!

[@ccs5531]

I think it's absolutely fantastic. It may or may not completely come together, but it's all in the journey, not the destination. And I love the visuals (and visual references to other classic horror movies!).

[@tommycampbell97]

So excited to see you cover this!!

[@BananaChanGames]

YES! Thank you for talking about this movie. The advertising really didn’t do it justice.

[@KelleyGreenEcstasy]

I love that youre making a video on this. Reall trulyy enjoyed this movie, though it is a bit of a marathon.

[@shfhsvomvolakis2318]

i loved this movie, one of my most favorite horror movies i have ever seen. such an underrated masterpiece

[@michelegraham1181]

Great video as usual! I thought this was a really underrated film. I also thought the beginning was terrifying. I would be really interested to see a video about Deliverance as I realized that there are a lot of unanswered questions. Assuming that Deliverance was released in 1972 and was not meant to be rewound or paused. Keep up the great work!

[@PramitChatterjee1993]

Discovered this movie recently & was absolutely blown away by it! Also, please cover Tumbbad.

[@TheRealxKaydo]

Idk why but this is one of my favorite horror flicks of all time. It just felt so immersive throughout the run time.

[@SunnyMuffinsRox]

that chase scene is one of the most right scary scenes in any horror film I've seen

[@Farons8]

Man you’re so right about the movie making a light parody of western remakes. I never noticed that

[@patches5681]

Just watched this the other night and really enjoyed it. Definitely reccomend! Great video!

[@familyfeuduploads3800]

Love to see some Empty Man recognition, it definitely felt like it had a lot more below the hood than most horrors like it. With all your unpacking of folkloric horror I bet you could do a really solid analysis of "The Legend of Boggy Creek"

[@janthummler3548]

Finally! Thanks man, been waiting for this!

[@Moccashio]

Honestly, that twist is good. Its a very cool concept- it could have been a whole "it was just a dream" situation, but the way they played out worked very well.

[@WinterBlossomX]

Finally watched it last night and absolutely loved it! Not only because I am a fan of the Lovecraftian genre, but also because it was really well executed. It's not often that you feel completely immersed in a movie anymore, and between the cinematography and soundtrack/sound design - I felt swallowed by its atmosphere. And i feel like it's a big part of what makes good cosmic horror what it is - by making you reflect on human existence and its meaning - or lack thereof.

[@jonfreeman9682]

It was a good atmospheric mystery horror but the best part was the opening sequence when the 4 hikers encounter the evil force and Paul gets possessed. The rest is a slow burn mystery that finally ties the story back to Paul. There's actually not much Lovecraft as there's barely a glimpse of the tentacle monster. But overall there's decent production value to create a creepy moody thriller with a great ending.

[@MegaIkedog]

The Empty Man has a few really good jump scares/startling moments. I'm sad that it was never released on Blu-ray.

[@schulzbrianr]

You had me at "set your expectations at Lovecraft territory"

[@chriswakefieldmusic]

That entire sequence in the woods, from the incredible zoom in from the map to the real woods from the sky to inside his car to him driving was the best I’ve seen, all the way to his exploring the cabin and walking through the woods to seeing the cult suddenly quiet and stopped staring and chasing him was one of the best sequences in recent memory. It’s a shame how this film was dumped and marketed to look like a Slender Man rip off. Initially the trailer gave me no interest until I heard a great review and recommendation from Red Letter Media (check that out btw). Once I saw it I was immediately in the cult fan base. Thanks for doing a video on it and spreading the word to a wider audience hopefully because this film SO deserves to become more known. An AWESOME and SURPRISING existential horror film!

[@carringtoncashion1]

I remember seeing this movie in a very late night showing in the theater and of course after an exhausting day I fell asleep after 40mins in (wasnt because the movie was boring but i was just tired from the day). The movie some how haunted me the next day and made me get another ticket that day, and I absolutely love it! I really want it on physical release!