---
title: "Running on Empty (1988) review"
description: "Running on Empty is a surprisingly gentle film given its radical setup. I watched this shortly after One Battle After Another and honestly expected something..."
url: https://www.joekarlsson.com/reviews/running-on-empty-1988/
---

![A still from Running on Empty (1988)](https://www.joekarlsson.com/images/reviews/running-on-empty-1988/backdrop.webp)

# Running on Empty (1988)

Oct 5, 2025 | Rated 3 out of 5 | Dir. Sidney Lumet

Running on Empty is a surprisingly gentle film given its radical setup. I watched this shortly after One Battle After Another and honestly expected something a little more propulsive - but what I got was interesting in a different way.

The thing I kept thinking about while watching was how much I miss River Phoenix. He’s such a cute, sweet baby boy, and all of his films are so rough and raw and honest and vulnerable. I love him for that. He’s great in this too, giving a gentle, subtle performance that made it impossible not to root for him.

I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this, and I’m not entirely sure who I’d recommend it for. It’s an interesting watch, but it left me wanting something more.

Honestly? If you’re drawn to the subject matter, I’d recommend skipping this and watching the 2002 documentary The Weather Underground instead. It covers the real-life protesters and what happened after they went underground, and I found it far more compelling than this fictional take.

Also on [Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/joekarlsson/film/running-on-empty-1988/)

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Joe  
Karlsson

I write about my homelab, AI tools, databases, and the weird stuff I build on the side.

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