The Gist

The TLDR Recap/ Review

• In the world of “Running On Empty,” people can find out when they are going to die, and our lead, Mortimer, finds out, sans 3^rd party involvement or self-harm, he’ll die in 345 days.
• With learning this, his fiancé at the time, Nicole, dumps him, and the dark cloud usually over his head gets darker. Add in accidental solicitation from a sex worker, combined with their pimp asking for more money by the day, and Mortimer’s death day couldn’t come quick enough.
• That is, until he meets Kate, who works for a dating service for those who know when they’ll die. She brightens up his life and gives him a reason to live.
• At this point, I feel that Lucy Hale is probably this generation’s Meg Ryan, Diane Keaton, or what have you, for she just has the knack of being an intriguing love interest no matter who she is paired with.
• For when it comes to Keir Gilchrist, while he has awkward, introverted, and potentially on the spectrum down to a pat, that doesn’t make for something easy to play off of for everyone, yet she makes it work.
• I’d even say their short but cute relationship greatly compensates for all the weird comedy in the film, which some may find challenging to laugh at.
• But, overall, if you are a fan of Gilchrist or Hale, they deliver what is expected, and while you may have to deal with odd sex jokes and situations, it doesn’t ruin the movie.

Plot Summary

It’s 2023, and Mortimer’s life isn’t doing too bad. He is engaged to a beautiful woman named Nicole, works at his family’s funeral home as a mortician, and is content. However, in the process of getting a home, he is tasked with getting his LDC – his life day count and learns he has less than a year to live. With this, his girlfriend breaks up with him, and the socially awkward Mortimer is subject to a massive amount of pity.

Enter a dating service for people who may not have long to live where Mortimer meets Kate, a transplant to Southern California from Upstate New York, who brightens his dreary life. But, as she gives him a reason to look forward to his final year, he is plagued by the persistent presence of a pimp named Simon, who wants to coerce Mortimer to give him thousands of dollars after Mortimer accidentally solicited time with one of Simon’s workers.

Noted Cast and Characters Of “Running On Empty”

Keir Gilchrist As Mortimer

Mortimer, often shortened to Mort, is a mortician who has pitched the successful idea for his family’s funeral home to expand beyond having people laid out in coffins. Now, like taxidermy, they are put in setups showing them doing their favorite things, from watching movies, gambling, and other scenarios. But, while this has led to success at work, in terms of Mortimer’s personal life? He doesn’t have the same creativity and initiative.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Flashback.”

Francesca Eastwood As Nicole

Nicole was Mortimer’s fiancé who, well, let’s just say it isn’t clear how they met or what led them to be together, but in time, she shows herself as not only flaky but someone who definitely is adventurous.

• The actor is also known for their role in “MDMA.”

Lucy Hale As Kate

Kate is an Upstate New York native who came to Southern California to act and direct, but while waiting for that dream to be realized, she became an assistant for a shady dating service.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Which Brings Me To You.”

Rhys Coiro As Simon

Simon is a low-level pimp who takes advantage of Mortimer’s naivety mixed with him being at the wrong place at the wrong time in hopes of financially exploiting him.

• The actor is also known for their role in “The Coast Starlight.”

Collected Quote(s)

• I’m too desperate to discriminate against anyone willing to go on a date with me. — Uncle Barry

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

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Highlights

Lucy Hale

Simply put, Lucy Hale has a knack for playing the romantic lead. She gives as good as she takes, has an appealing sunny disposition, and appears to be able to use her charm to make you believe the relationship is real no matter what kind of character she is playing off of. Add in giving her character, Kate, just enough to be seen as an individual, and you get a performance that may not be accolade-worthy but definitely is a highlight for this film.

The Social Awkwardness Of Keir Gilchrist

One of the things we appreciate about Gilchrist as an actor is that he gives you an introvert who doesn’t compensate for their shyness or awkwardness with some kind of charm or humor. I know that could easily come off as an insult, but what I meant by this is that he gives life to those who are just trying to make it through life.

As Mortimer, he is invested in his work, enjoys his family to a point, and, like most people, he likes companionship and has an interest in sex, but can find dating frustrating, especially with the goal being something long-term. In many ways, you appreciate Kate because she reminds you that dating is a two-way street and that the heart of any relationship is two people who enjoy each other’s company, want to see the other person reach their goals, and bear witness to their happiness.

The two of them strip away the need for grandeur gestures and butterfly-inducing moments and remind you that normal, everyday people can and do fall in love just by being themselves.

Low Points

The Comedy

From awkward dialog about Mortimer’s work as a mortician, a litany of sex jokes and situations, to almost anything Simon or Mortimer’s uncle is involved in, the comedy of “Running On Empty” really pushes you to question where the line between comedy being subjective and just outright bad is? But, perhaps the main issue for us, which pushes this from being an on-the-fence topic, is that the comedy feels so out of place.

I get making Mortimer the straight man to the possibility of pegging amongst other situations he is put in, but when you add in his and Kate’s love story, him dying within a year, then you want this weird vibe that his uncle wants to sleep with his mom? It makes most of the jokes in the film feel unnecessary and leads to the question of whether there was any pushback or if the actors find this funny? Was this about just collecting a check and paying their SAG dues?

Generally, we just say the comedy wasn’t for us and move on, but remembering some of the jokes and situations makes us grimace.

General Information

Film Length

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Date Released

August 27, 2024

How To Watch “Running On Empty”

Distributor

Lionsgate Films

• The distributor is also known for “Kill.”

Director(s)

Daniel André

Writer(s)

Daniel André

Genre(s)

Comedy, Romance

Content Rating

Rated R

Content Information

• Dialog: Cursing
• Violence: Gun Use, Blood, Notable Fight Scenes
• Sexual Content: Sexual Situations (Implied)
• Miscellaneous: Depiction of Corpses, Drinking
• Are There Jump Scares: No
• Is There a Chance It Will Make You Cry: No

Why Is The Movie Named “Running On Empty?”

Because Mortimer, and others, are running out of days to love

Is There A Mid-Credit or Post-Credit Scene For “Running On Empty?”

Nope

The post Running On Empty: Review first appeared on Wherever I Look and is written by Amari Allah.