Empathy, Inc.

2019 • 97 minutos

Sobre este filme

After losing a big deal, Joel has hit rock bottom. Desperate for a win, he begins seeking investors for Empathy, Inc, a VR startup offering users the experience of a less fortunate live. Joel soon discovers that all is not what it seems…

Classificações e resenhas

Director Yedidya Gorsetman’s sophomore film Empathy Inc. is a fast paced monochromatic sci-fi thriller that strings an intricate plot together in a tightly woven, cohesive piece. In Empathy Inc. we follow Joel (Zack Robidas), a Venture Capitalist who is desperately searching for a new source of funds. After linking up with an old friend, Joel gets involved in a new Virtual Reality startup called XVR. Joel becomes absorbed by his own curiosity for the product and quickly realizes that he is in way over his head. Gorsetman carefully creates a balance of answering your questions about the plot while simultaneously forcing you to ask yourself more. This cat and mouse relationship between director and audience kept me on the edge of my seat as I was trying to get one step ahead of the characters. It is always refreshing when a director doesn’t explicitly explain the plot but rather lets the audience use context clues in order to understand what’s happening. It felt as if I was figuring out how this mysterious technology worked as fast if not slower than Joel was. In most movies you can predict what’s going to happen next but this movie is an exception where the characters seemed to be one step ahead of me. This fast paced neo-noir thriller has all the makings for a cult classic and I highly recommend streaming it when you can.

The ability to seamlessly blend genres together is a true testament to the skill of the minds behind the sci-fi neo-noir Empathy, Inc. This cleverly crafted movie follows Joel (Zack Robidas), a venture capitalist who invests in a start-up tech company that is producing extreme virtual reality equipment before realizing the company has a complete disregard for human life. It’s an intense plot that deals with how greed can corrupt someone’s sense of right and wrong. Cinematographer Darin Quan visually expresses the themes of duality that the plot centers around with his use of symmetrical shots and the classic feel of a noir film with the intense extreme close-ups, eerie Dutch angles, and dark shadows that wordlessly communicate the internal moral divide the characters are battling. Quan’s work is never overt, instead leaving his thoughtful artistic choices like subtle clues for an audience member to pick up on, which enriches the story and elevates the film from other low-budget indie projects. The level of skill in subliminal storytelling makes it so easy to inject these distinct elements into a technological science-fiction film and have it not only be cohesive but help the film stand apart from others who stick to just one genre. As a film student, a movie that pioneers its own style and does not rely on predictable conventions is a movie that sticks in my mind long after the credits roll. These filmmakers put their skills to the test and prevailed, proving worthy of an audience and I encourage others to see for themselves.

It’s ironic that Empathy Inc.’s premise about a small tech startup inherently shares so many characteristics with the aspirations and difficulties of making an independent film. But, just like the movie’s startup’s advanced virtual reality device, Yedidya Gorsetman’s sci-fi thriller seems too good to be true. As a frequent viewer of such indie movies, most succumb to their low budget featuring bland sets, limited locations, and cheap props. However, Gorsetman and his partnership with cinematographer Darin Quan, achieve an impressive level of artistry with the little budget and time that comes with smaller productions. Every sequence and location is squeezed for as much production value it can offer and its props look just realistic enough to believe this impossible technology. A film like this is the perfect showcase for a directors true talents; being able to take an inherently big idea like a realistic virtual world and being able to portray it effectively on a budget, making Empathy Inc. a great watch and I would absolutely recommend.