JP Nunez
If you’re a hardcore horror fan, you’ve probably noticed a new trend starting to emerge in the genre. Movies like Skinamarink and Enys Men have popularized a minimalist style that focuses on mood and atmosphere over narrative, and I’m all for it. Granted, I don’t like all of these films, but I enjoy the trend as a whole. I love atmospheric horror, and as long as I get a great experience, I don’t mind foregoing storytelling substance. So naturally, when I first heard about Emptiness, I was pretty intrigued. This is another one of those moody minimalist movies that prioritizes the viewing experience over a tight, cohesive narrative, and after finally getting the chance to watch it, I’m happy to report that it mostly delivers.
Emptiness was written, produced, and directed by Onur Karaman, and it stars Stephanie Breton, Alex Dubois, Rebecca Rowley, Anana Rydvald, Marc Thibaudeau, and Julie Trepanier. It’s about a woman named Suzanne who lives in an isolated country house, and she’s wondering where her husband Normand is and when he’s coming back home. He apparently left the house some time ago, but Suzanne has no idea what happened to him.
In the meantime, she’s cared for by two other women, Linda and Nicole, and the entire time, she’s plagued by strange, possibly supernatural phenomena. She sometimes sees a ghostly woman in white, and she also hears a demonic-sounding voice telling her that she knows her husband isn’t coming back. So of course, this raises a question: are there really supernatural forces at work here, or is Suzanne just going crazy?
As you can probably guess from that brief plot synopsis, Emptiness is at its core a mystery. Not only do we wonder what happened to Normand, but the entire premise is full of similar questions. For example, who are Nicole and Linda, and why are they there? They don’t seem to be related to Suzanne, and the film makes it pretty clear that they’re not her friends either. There doesn’t seem to be much reason for them to be helping her, so up until the very end, I couldn’t stop wondering just who the hell these people were.
What’s more, Linda and Nicole’s relationship with Suzanne also suggests that there’s more going on here than meets the eye. Nicole is very domineering and even a bit antagonistic, but Linda is the exact opposite. She’s much more caring and compassionate, and she sometimes goes behind Nicole’s back to support Suzanne. These two women couldn’t be more different, and that makes them feel almost archetypal. I thought they might’ve just been the two sides of Suzanne’s psyche, so for most of Emptiness, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were even real.
Then, when Suzanne begins to experience these odd visions and voices, the mystery grows even deeper. Are there really spirits here, or is Suzanne just losing her mind? And if the ghosts are real, are Nicole and Linda in league with them at all, or are they potential victims, too?
Simply put, the story here is basically just one big cornucopia of mysteries, and director Onur Karaman tells that story in an equally mysterious fashion. As I said before, Emptiness is very moody and atmospheric, and like most atmospheric horror films, this one also uses its atmosphere to make you feel like you’re right there with the main characters experiencing these events for yourself.
That being said, it might not be exactly what you’re expecting when you hear the term “atmospheric horror.” See, unlike a lot of its cinematic peers, this movie isn’t trying to instill a pervasive sense of dread in its viewers. Instead, it’s more about the confusion and disorientation that comes from not knowing what’s really going on, so the atmosphere is one of unease and uncertainty. You don’t quite get the feeling that the characters are entirely without hope, but you know that something definitely isn’t right here. It’s a bit different from what atmospheric horror normally gives us, but in my opinion, it’s equally effective.
It’s a great ride, so for most of the film’s runtime, I was totally on board with it. But when Emptiness finally pulls back the curtain and lets us know the truth behind these mysterious events, it loses a bit of steam. The payoff is relatively humdrum and mundane compared to the buildup, so on a narrative level, I was a little underwhelmed.
That left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth when the credits began to roll, but as I reflected upon the experience as a whole afterward, I felt much more positive about the movie than I did in the final few minutes. Sure, the narrative isn’t entirely up to par, but that’s not really what the film is about. It’s primarily about the feel and the atmosphere, not the story. It’s an immersive, experiential journey, so the destination is secondary.
And when you look at Emptiness in that light, it’s tough to view it as anything but a success. It accomplishes what it sets out to do, and for 99% of its runtime, it’s pretty captivating. It’s beautifully mysterious and atmospheric, and everything about this film, from the cinematography to the acting to the ghostly scares, will draw you in and keep your eyes glued to the screen as you wonder just what the hell is going on here. As I said, it’s a great ride, so even though it’s not perfect, it still gets a hearty thumbs up from me.
Emptiness had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 22.
