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The Big Empty

2003 · 95 min

A laid-back, quirky desert mystery that ambles between deadpan comedy and eerie conspiracy, leaving you pleasantly off-balance.

Directed by
Steve Anderson
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Tagline
Cowboys. Aliens. Blue suitcases and bowling balls. Strange things are happening out in the middle of nowhere.
Overview
Struggling actor John Person agrees to drive a blue suitcase from Los Angeles to the small town of Baker, Calif., and hand it over to a mysterious cowboy in return for having his credit card debt of $27,000 paid off. Upon his arrival, John can't find the cowboy but receives an ominously head-shaped package he's supposed to hang onto. While waiting, John gets close to Ruthie, whose psychotic boyfriend, Randy, keeps threatening to kill him.

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Directed by
Steve Anderson
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Mystery
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • absurdstrength 2 of 3
  • eeriestrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • whimsicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • mystery
  • conspiracy
  • identity
  • isolation
  • fate
Places
  • small town
  • road trip
  • wilderness
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour6
Realism4
Romance3
Tension4
Darkness5
Complexity6
Emotional weight4

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Cast

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Details

Genres
comedy, drama, mystery, science fiction
Directed by
Steve Anderson
Written by
Steve Anderson
Starring
Jon Favreau, Joey Lauren Adams, Rachael Leigh Cook, Daryl Hannah, Kelsey Grammer, Sean Bean, Melora Walters, Bud Cort
Music
Brian Tyler
Cinematography
Christopher Manley
Runtime
95 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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