The Big Empty
2003 · Movie · R · 95 min · ★ 6.1 · 62% critics
A struggling actor takes a risky courier job that sends him from Los Angeles to a remote desert town with a mysterious suitcase and unclear instructions. As the handoff goes wrong, he gets pulled into an offbeat mix of threats, strange locals, dark humor, and growing unease.
Where to watch
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Starz and Lionsgate+.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2003
- Release date
- 2003-05-16
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Max quality
- SD
- Critic score
- 62/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.1/10 (83 votes)
About
You may like this if you enjoy oddball desert mysteries with humor, unanswered questions, and a slightly sci-fi edge, somewhere between The Nines and Significant Other; Not for you if you want clear explanations or fast pacing.
Pros: quirky desert atmosphere; unpredictable mystery; strong offbeat cast | Cons: slow pace; very ambiguous ending; may feel aimless
Themes
- fbi
- suitcase
- alien
- neighbor
- conspiracy
- desert
- cowboy
Cast & crew
Jon Favreau
as John Person
Joey Lauren Adams
as Grace
Rachael Leigh Cook
as Ruthie
Daryl Hannah
as Stella
Kelsey Grammer
as Agent Banks
Sean Bean
as Cowboy
Melora Walters
as Candy
Bud Cort
as Neely
Jon Gries
as Elron
Adam Beach
as Randy
Directed by Steve Anderson