Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- blackly comic
- irreverent
- dark comedy night
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an original, slick blackly comic crime caper elevated by the performances of Simon Pegg and David Schwimmer, though its tonal shifts limited its mainstream appeal.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gus's blackmail plan against Reverend Smalls collapses after the reverend's death and creates further troubles for Charlie, Gus, and Josie.
The central joke involves exploiting a priest's visits to illegal porn sites, while the scam's consequences include an accidental death.
Charlie joins the extortion scheme because unemployment and family responsibilities make quick money seem necessary.
The extortion depends on threatening to expose Reverend Smalls's hidden internet activity and destroy his clerical career.
Films like Big Nothing, and why
Fargo
blackly comic crime caper with escalating criminal misfortune and an irreverent tone
The Ladykillers
darkly comic ensemble crime story driven by schemes, incompetence, and sudden violence
The Ice Harvest
witty, chaotic crime comedy centered on amateur criminals whose plan spirals out of control
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Baptiste Andrea
- Release Date
- 2006-12-01
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (502)
Cast
- David Schwimmer
- Simon Pegg
- Alice Eve
- Natascha McElhone
- Jon Polito
- Mimi Rogers
- William Rosenfeld
- Julian Glover
- Olivia Peterson
- Sarah Edmondson
Common questions
- What is Big Nothing about?
- An unemployed former professor joins a blackmail scheme that turns into a mordantly comic cascade of crime, death, and panic.
- What is Big Nothing like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Big Nothing as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Big Nothing violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Big Nothing as moderate.
- What did critics think of Big Nothing?
- Critics generally found the film an original, slick blackly comic crime caper elevated by the performances of Simon Pegg and David Schwimmer, though its tonal shifts limited its mainstream appeal.
- Which films are like Big Nothing?
- Films with a similar feel include Fargo, The Ladykillers, and The Ice Harvest.
- How long is Big Nothing?
- Big Nothing runs 86 minutes.
