Not really sure why there are reviews that claim other reviews were bought because they were rating this film with high scores but this is an honest review from a viewer that wasn't paid for. I viewed the movie via Shudder platform the first day it was added. Never read anything about it other than the small description that was on the site so I went into this movie cold. I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed the film. I thought the story was very interesting, yes VR has been done before but this rendition was good. The actors were great in their parts, some better at it than others but nothing amateurish about the performances. Ending was good too. I rated it a 7/10 because I'd definitely recommend this to others and probably would watch it again.
53 Reviews
Good film with a new angle
ukdean25 September 2019
Easy to follow, but hard to swallow
youngcollind10 June 2021
It's stylish, has a pretty unique concept and solid pacing, so it keeps you engaged throughout. However, you need to stretch your willing suspension of disbelief wide enough to drive a truck through, since many of the plot points are maddeningly unrealistic, even by sci-fi standards. Most of the characters are dislikeable, and some of the performances felt a little stiff, but overall there weren't too many shortcomings due to the lack of budget. It's an entertaining enough film if you don't ask too much of it.
Yes, I'm a Real Reviewer, Look At My Reviews, and A lot of the Other Reviews Have Spoilers with a Disclaimer.
betchaareoffendedeasily14 April 2020
If you don't don't like movies in Black and White, just don't watch this, pure and simple, why watch something you know you'll hate? Anyone complaining about Black and White photography here is silly, the black and white does this movie a real service in not only distinguishing it from many other low-budget films, but really does enhance the mood here. As with another movie I recently reviewed "Third Contact", the b&w is a real asset to that movie as well as "Empathy, Inc." It is well-filmed, and has a fairly good usage of closeups, it doesn't overdo them, and it couples very well with the b&w photography.
The script was well-written other than the 2 or 3 small plot holes, which unfortunately, were they tied up, the authors would have had to change some of the story a little bit, that would have not effected it too much on the hole, either way, with movies of this nature, it requires a good deal of suspension of disbelief. Eliminating those plot holes would have elevated it from good to great. The characters are flawed, but still likeable, I was rooting for the lead, I found his wife sometimes irritating, but well-meaning, and by the end, I had a lot of empathy for her, her parents were likeable, and I felt behaved fairly realistically as a pair of loving parents would. One of the well-written aspects of this film was the initial set-up and the introduction of the "investment", there was a lot of excitement in the initial half of the film, and while the film never peters out in terms of pace and excitement, the second half is not nearly as well-written.
The sound and movie are well-used, and the lighting is better than a lot of low-budget films, but given it is using B&B photography, a better usage of shadows and light contrast would have served the film well. The sound editing though is really solid, and so much better than most low-budget films and even soe bigger budget ones, this is one of the areas where it really shines.
The pacing is good, it is never slow, but it isn't fast ether, it moves a very deliberate moderate pace, and this serves to build up tension very well. No, this isn't anywhere near as good as "Primer", but while watching it, I felt some of the same feelings tension and suspense I had while watching that and "Coherence". I was totally absorbed in the film, and very upset when I had to take a break halfway through. I was expecting a film I could wash dishes to, but I ended up just really sitting down and watching it instead. It doesn't have nearly the re-watchable qualities of "Primer" or "Coherence", but the first go round is a lot of fun and very clever in some places.
The acting here is solid, not fantastic, but give credit where credit is due, I watch a lot of low-budget fare, and the acting here is just as good as most big budget films, especially when you consider the amount of closeups used in this film.
I find it to be a glaring hypocrisy when people accustomed to bigger budget films pick on low budget movies for acting that isn't totally stellar, or minor issues with lighting or sound. I don't mean real problems, such as if the audio is so bad you cannot hear what characters are saying, or the lighting is completely washed out, and not for artistic effect, but due to incompetency. There are real complaints you can make about many low budget AND big budget films, so I am not referring to that, but simply, with low budget films, we absolutely should cut them a bit more latitude, if anything our criticisms on big budget studio films should be harsher because they have so many resources at their disposal, and yet they still make really bad movies. While, most of the time, low budget films suffer due to a lack of monetary resources, and often times, skilled people to work on the film, but many times, they make up for it with sheer gumption, ambition, and better ideas.
As a long-time reviewer, I am hesitant to ever say there are fake reviews, but I actually know from my own personal experience that there are, I have talked to at least one low-budget movie maker who admitted it, probably without realizing. So, yes, fake reviews are real. I say all that, because this is one of the first times I agree with the other reviewers on fake reviews, when I originally wrote this review, were 253 ratings, but 44 reviews? Nope, not buying that most of them are legit. The reason I don't buy it is because I regularly review low-budget films, go check out my other reviews and look at comparable review to rating ratio. While there is certainly going to be more reviews on certain movies, that does not explain the disproportional large number at the time of writing the original review. So yes, I believe the first influx of reviews, are mostly written by those affiliated with the film or are friends or family of them. It's a shame because this is a very well-made low-budget film, it deserves a wider viewership and more legitimate reviews, which likely will come in time. It deserves a solid 6 or 6.5 on it's overall IMDB score, the only reason it doesn't get higher for me is because of a few small plot holes, which do make some of the things in the film unravel, they don't generally take away from it's enjoyment overall, but when it's over, you cannot help, but think about them.
I might watch it again, I might not, but I would certainly recommend it people whom enjoy sci-fi, and films that are a little bit different. It has it's flaws and it's charms, but it is certainly worthy of a wider audience, it really is a shame all these fake reviews are on here, it just isn't helping it's reputation and will turn a lot of people off.
God Bless ~Amy
The script was well-written other than the 2 or 3 small plot holes, which unfortunately, were they tied up, the authors would have had to change some of the story a little bit, that would have not effected it too much on the hole, either way, with movies of this nature, it requires a good deal of suspension of disbelief. Eliminating those plot holes would have elevated it from good to great. The characters are flawed, but still likeable, I was rooting for the lead, I found his wife sometimes irritating, but well-meaning, and by the end, I had a lot of empathy for her, her parents were likeable, and I felt behaved fairly realistically as a pair of loving parents would. One of the well-written aspects of this film was the initial set-up and the introduction of the "investment", there was a lot of excitement in the initial half of the film, and while the film never peters out in terms of pace and excitement, the second half is not nearly as well-written.
The sound and movie are well-used, and the lighting is better than a lot of low-budget films, but given it is using B&B photography, a better usage of shadows and light contrast would have served the film well. The sound editing though is really solid, and so much better than most low-budget films and even soe bigger budget ones, this is one of the areas where it really shines.
The pacing is good, it is never slow, but it isn't fast ether, it moves a very deliberate moderate pace, and this serves to build up tension very well. No, this isn't anywhere near as good as "Primer", but while watching it, I felt some of the same feelings tension and suspense I had while watching that and "Coherence". I was totally absorbed in the film, and very upset when I had to take a break halfway through. I was expecting a film I could wash dishes to, but I ended up just really sitting down and watching it instead. It doesn't have nearly the re-watchable qualities of "Primer" or "Coherence", but the first go round is a lot of fun and very clever in some places.
The acting here is solid, not fantastic, but give credit where credit is due, I watch a lot of low-budget fare, and the acting here is just as good as most big budget films, especially when you consider the amount of closeups used in this film.
I find it to be a glaring hypocrisy when people accustomed to bigger budget films pick on low budget movies for acting that isn't totally stellar, or minor issues with lighting or sound. I don't mean real problems, such as if the audio is so bad you cannot hear what characters are saying, or the lighting is completely washed out, and not for artistic effect, but due to incompetency. There are real complaints you can make about many low budget AND big budget films, so I am not referring to that, but simply, with low budget films, we absolutely should cut them a bit more latitude, if anything our criticisms on big budget studio films should be harsher because they have so many resources at their disposal, and yet they still make really bad movies. While, most of the time, low budget films suffer due to a lack of monetary resources, and often times, skilled people to work on the film, but many times, they make up for it with sheer gumption, ambition, and better ideas.
As a long-time reviewer, I am hesitant to ever say there are fake reviews, but I actually know from my own personal experience that there are, I have talked to at least one low-budget movie maker who admitted it, probably without realizing. So, yes, fake reviews are real. I say all that, because this is one of the first times I agree with the other reviewers on fake reviews, when I originally wrote this review, were 253 ratings, but 44 reviews? Nope, not buying that most of them are legit. The reason I don't buy it is because I regularly review low-budget films, go check out my other reviews and look at comparable review to rating ratio. While there is certainly going to be more reviews on certain movies, that does not explain the disproportional large number at the time of writing the original review. So yes, I believe the first influx of reviews, are mostly written by those affiliated with the film or are friends or family of them. It's a shame because this is a very well-made low-budget film, it deserves a wider viewership and more legitimate reviews, which likely will come in time. It deserves a solid 6 or 6.5 on it's overall IMDB score, the only reason it doesn't get higher for me is because of a few small plot holes, which do make some of the things in the film unravel, they don't generally take away from it's enjoyment overall, but when it's over, you cannot help, but think about them.
I might watch it again, I might not, but I would certainly recommend it people whom enjoy sci-fi, and films that are a little bit different. It has it's flaws and it's charms, but it is certainly worthy of a wider audience, it really is a shame all these fake reviews are on here, it just isn't helping it's reputation and will turn a lot of people off.
God Bless ~Amy
Slow burn
sysgoddess28 February 2021
This was an interesting and surprising film that my husband selected for us to watch for our movie night. I'd never heard of it nor knew anything about it so had my doubts about if I would enjoy it.
It started out slowly introducing the characters, their relationships and history but did so selectively before starting moving. I enjoyed taking a few short minutes getting familiar with the characters before jumping in to the plot.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful and suspenseful movie .
Despite the hew and cry of a couple posters here, I am quite real and have rated possibly hundreds of movies and television series but reviewed probably less than a dozen over the years. I don't fancy myself a professional reviewed or film critic, merely a woman who knows what she enjoys watching
It started out slowly introducing the characters, their relationships and history but did so selectively before starting moving. I enjoyed taking a few short minutes getting familiar with the characters before jumping in to the plot.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful and suspenseful movie .
Despite the hew and cry of a couple posters here, I am quite real and have rated possibly hundreds of movies and television series but reviewed probably less than a dozen over the years. I don't fancy myself a professional reviewed or film critic, merely a woman who knows what she enjoys watching
Don't understand all the hate
natcalgary8 October 2019
It was a slow start ... but mid way through the movie right up till the end was very good.
The story line was unique and the end was pretty good as well.
I can understand that people may not like that it is black and white or that there was no big name actors.
But I thought it was unique and it kept me interested the whole time
6.1
6.1
good idea, bad everything else
NijazBaBs13 October 2019
It is good idea or topic, exactly the reason I was watching this. But gray color, acting, holes in the story, unsolved or unclear stuff makes it deserve no better rating. Not good to watch. No explanation. Unfinished. Just some random scifi stuff with bit of non-scifi stuff from real life, and few cool very small details such as witnessing crime. Not good enough. Like this is from 90s. Unexplained, unresolved.
Hitchcockian Suspense
bemyfriend-4018422 June 2021
Hitchcockian Suspense marries fifties horror of B&W flicks such as The Brain That Wouldn't Die. The "slow burn" that some of our reviewers didn't like; was actually better than the mad scientist ending. Good fun flick to watch on a rainy night. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site; which as some real gems among the junk.
Interesting
BandSAboutMovies24 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Venture capitalist Joel is dealing with the end of his last company. He's had to be the scapegoat for the lies that his partner told and his name is known nationwide as a swindler. He and his actress wife Jessica have to start over from the bottom -- living with her parents. But when Joel's life is at his lowest, he discovers that he may be able to reinvent himself.
Written by Mark Leidner and directed by Yedidya Gorsetman, this black and white tale of virtual reality gone wrong surprised me with how deep and brutal it could be.
When Joel meets old friend Nicolaus and his business partner Lester, he learns about Empathy, Inc.'s product - Xtreme Virtual Reality. It takes its users and allows them to be inside the lives of the poor and homeless. But the truth is, they're actually taking over the lives of real people and the choices they make have deadly results.
The line where one of the villains says, "It's the best feeling ever to CENSOR yourself?" That's crazy but brilliant writing. This raises some big ideas and delivers on them. I've never seen a body switch movie before where that happens.
Written by Mark Leidner and directed by Yedidya Gorsetman, this black and white tale of virtual reality gone wrong surprised me with how deep and brutal it could be.
When Joel meets old friend Nicolaus and his business partner Lester, he learns about Empathy, Inc.'s product - Xtreme Virtual Reality. It takes its users and allows them to be inside the lives of the poor and homeless. But the truth is, they're actually taking over the lives of real people and the choices they make have deadly results.
The line where one of the villains says, "It's the best feeling ever to CENSOR yourself?" That's crazy but brilliant writing. This raises some big ideas and delivers on them. I've never seen a body switch movie before where that happens.
Not bad at all
moscalifar-6872727 September 2019
ending might induce a migrane
MunkyMovie3 April 2021
Original and tricky
hankbrns17 May 2020
Wow! This was a change from the usual stuff.
The actors did a masterful job with a difficult subject.
Couple of flaws in the scenario but not enough for me to jump off the roller-coaster. Solid entertainment up to the unexpected ending.
Interesting
fluffchop18 July 2021
Great Sound Design
cmpa-imdb-059075 February 2020
For someone who constantly pays attention to sound design and score while watching films, I was genuinely surprised at how impactful the work of Omri Anghel was while viewing Empathy, Inc. Director Yedidya Gorsetman's sci-fi/thriller film about greed and technology gone wrong is not only a great watch for any sci-fi and thriller fans, but also for lovers of film score and sound design. While lesser films might opt to have a sound design that has high pitch noises in order to evoke a quick jump in the viewer, Empathy, Inc. sounds designer Omri Anghel chose to take a different approach. Throughout the film, there are suspenseful moments where Anghel decided to have no sound at all, which only added to the intensity of those sequences and the film overall. The score also helped add suspense, mystery, and intrigue to the overarching story told by screenwriters Yedidya Gorsetman and Mark Leidner, so for any fans of sci-fi/thrillers, or anyone interested in sound design, Empathy, Inc. is a film I'd recommend you keep an eye on.
I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler
wandernn1-81-68327412 June 2020
Okay was kinda clueless to what was happening for most of this movie. But I did finally catch one once Joel decided to start beating himself with a gun.
-1 Star for Damaging Yourself when you know you need to come back eventually
+1 Star for Having the Cahones to do what needs to be done.... 'I'm done making deals'.....
-1 Star For Joel being a bit slow on the uptake there at the end....
+1 Star For Joel finally doing the RIGHT THING!!!
Okay really I have mixed feelings about this movie so I guess the rating it will get is well deserved.
5/10
-1 Star for Damaging Yourself when you know you need to come back eventually
+1 Star for Having the Cahones to do what needs to be done.... 'I'm done making deals'.....
-1 Star For Joel being a bit slow on the uptake there at the end....
+1 Star For Joel finally doing the RIGHT THING!!!
Okay really I have mixed feelings about this movie so I guess the rating it will get is well deserved.
5/10
Unfair rating
thtsme16 October 2020
The rating of this movie (5.2 by the time I publish this review) is absolutely unfair. Many of the bad reviews complain mostly about it being in black and white, which I think if a very poor argument to downvote a title so much. They should have known that beforehand and it is very likely that most of them did not even watch the movie, otherwise why would you watch a b&w movie if you don't like b&w?
I'd give it a 7, at the bare minimum, although it may as well deserve an 8, but I'll give it a 9 to compensate the unfair haters.
The story is good, original as far as I know, and keeps your attention. The script, may not be an Oscar winning one, but it is more than decent and believable. The acting is very good, and the end is probably not the best but still reasonably good.
The build-up is not so slow (another complaint in some bad reviews). It takes less than 10 minutes to present the characters and set up the background that leads to the actual story, at which point the VR story is introduced to the viewer.
At minute 30 you already have the feeling there is more to the VR than what the main character has been told. Before the film reaches the equator, the main character is told the guys he is doing business with are fishy, and then the tension rapidly climbs-up.
Overall, a very interesting and recommended movie to watch.
I'd give it a 7, at the bare minimum, although it may as well deserve an 8, but I'll give it a 9 to compensate the unfair haters.
The story is good, original as far as I know, and keeps your attention. The script, may not be an Oscar winning one, but it is more than decent and believable. The acting is very good, and the end is probably not the best but still reasonably good.
The build-up is not so slow (another complaint in some bad reviews). It takes less than 10 minutes to present the characters and set up the background that leads to the actual story, at which point the VR story is introduced to the viewer.
At minute 30 you already have the feeling there is more to the VR than what the main character has been told. Before the film reaches the equator, the main character is told the guys he is doing business with are fishy, and then the tension rapidly climbs-up.
Overall, a very interesting and recommended movie to watch.
Solid Movie with Fun Surprises
annienguyen-6776926 September 2019
Thought-provoking and intelligent indie sci-fi
bemightee12 February 2021
Was really surprised by this little indie. It's shot (like the very best noir films) in a gorgeous black and white and features some strong performances from the actors (most of whom i hadn't heard of before). I'd say if you like dystopian sci-fi then you should check this out. Cause if Black Mirror is a gateway drug then Empathy Inc. is the dark stuff your dealer saves for himself.
My Review Of "Empathy Inc"
ASouthernHorrorFan20 September 2019
The story is a creative, intimate play on relationships, opportunity and the risk of the unknown. It is highly conceptual, with elements of noir and surrealism. Yet somehow the complexity of the hunan experience and the almost mad science components blend smoothly. It allows for a comfortable, recognizable story that doesn't tax the viewer with confusion. "Empathy Inc" plays out more like a character drama with elements of body jumping fantasy.
The cast seem at ease with these characters, allowing for believable, and relatable personas. I mean they act as if these characters are who they are. If that makes sense. The in-laws especially, the only character that could have been tweaked would have been the antagonist. He came off more slacker hacker than mad scientist/ tech genius. But given the final act he makes sense after the fact.
The only downside with "Empathy Inc", for me personally was the lack of intensity when the thriller elements kick in. Especially those last several seems. Everything just happens because it happens. There is no real heightened suspense or tension that builds to real amp up the thriller edge. Still this is a clever, mature sci-fi movie that is worth checking out.
The cast seem at ease with these characters, allowing for believable, and relatable personas. I mean they act as if these characters are who they are. If that makes sense. The in-laws especially, the only character that could have been tweaked would have been the antagonist. He came off more slacker hacker than mad scientist/ tech genius. But given the final act he makes sense after the fact.
The only downside with "Empathy Inc", for me personally was the lack of intensity when the thriller elements kick in. Especially those last several seems. Everything just happens because it happens. There is no real heightened suspense or tension that builds to real amp up the thriller edge. Still this is a clever, mature sci-fi movie that is worth checking out.
Thriller with a side of romance!
kayalynnyoun9 September 2019
I was very impressed with Empathy, Inc.'s creative writing; I specifically paid attention to the character development between the film's two main protagonists, Joel (Zack Robidas) and Jessica (Kathy Searle): a married couple against the world together. Their heart warming dynamic and loyalty to each other makes this "horror" film's storyline even more powerful. Even through all the conflicts they faced, in the end there was no question who their heart belonged to. I personally loved all the strong, emotional plot twists between these two characters. In my opinion, these two actors chemistry and dialogue makes this film iconic for pulling on an audience's heart strings. I would definitely recommend this film for a clever tie of romance and thriller!
Acting makes the movie
kaleyphillips-8514712 September 2019
In Empathy Inc., an indie thriller gem, characters are not how they appear to be. While being multifaceted in their own right the actors take the next step when they take on the roles of other characters in the film. Zack Robidas, Kathy Searle, and Jay Klaitz are stellar at taking on multiple personalities and portraying not only their own characters but also each others'. Their skills were put to the test and it paid off with each actor dynamically changing between characters smartly and effectively. The acting done by these three are each stand-alone performances done well but put together are a masterpiece on screen. These performances are what got me to implore you to watch this film.
Chilling sounds make for a great thriller
nicholashoskinson10 September 2019
This film was not only an exhilarating sci-fi thriller, but the exceptional work of sound designer Omri Anghel made Empathy Inc. stand out to me as one of the best thrillers I have seen in a long time. The film follows the protagonist Joel (Zack Robidas) who is investing in a virtual reality startup company that claims to provide a beneficial service, but things start to go awry when he uncovers the true use of the technology. Omri Anghel's expertise made everything from chilling screams to eerie silence extra startling, really establishing this film as a top tier thriller. Empathy Inc.'s use of creepy sound design definitely makes this film worth a watch.
Brilliant social commentary!
taylorroseharrigan11 February 2020
After watching Empathy, Inc., an eccentric white-collar crime thriller, it is clear that this film was a success in immersive filmmaking! This film deserves recognition for its brilliant commentary on class struggles in today's current society. Director Yedidya Gorsetman's modern twist to the infamous neo-noir style provides a fresh take on the duality of humanity, taking the film to another level entirely. The film follows Joel (Zack Robidas), a failed venture capitalist, after a multi-million dollar work scandal forces him to the east coast in an attempt to escape his past. On this journey, Joel runs into a new dilemma involving black market technology - XVR. This new technology accentuates the recurring controversy of class struggles through the classic body-switching concept common in sci-fi films and gives the audience a smartly calibrated glimpse into the life of the underprivileged. Gorsetman opens up the possibility for new ways to think with clever neo-noir cinematic choices embedded in Empathy, Inc., symbolizing the light and dark of social class. This compelling and engrossing sci-fi thriller's astute social commentary deserves a standing ovation and is a well-crafted must see!
Engrossing film
allisontobrien12 September 2019
With the exemplary use of Darian Quan's cinematography, Empathy, Inc.'s new sci-fi thriller pulls audiences into its realm almost immediately. The film provides parallels with "Black Mirror" in conjunction with its eerie feel and discourse with the world of virtual reality and advanced technology. Mark Lidner's screenplay does an excellent job of making the viewer feel the intense discomfort and uneasiness that Joel (Zack Robidas) and Jessica (Kathy Searle) feel throughout the film. Empathy, Inc. is an engrossing film, one in which I would highly recommend, as it made me question the imminent danger our society potentially awaits with the ever-progressing innovation of electronics.
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