It stars Jon Favreau as a struggling actor with a bizarre request from his neighbor to deliver a suitcase that he cannot open.

His neighbor Neely offers him $28K to take a gun and deliver a blue suitcase to "Cowboy" in Baker.

In a diner the next day, Person meets Dan, who tells many strange tales and conspiracy theories about the desert.

Person meets Ruthie outside a gas station and they drive to Devil's Crest lakebed outside town.

At the motel, Person again misses Cowboy, who left him a bowling ball bag that he is not allowed to open.

Person's friend Grace calls to tell him Neely was beheaded, and FBI agent Banks is looking for him.

Cowboy pulls out a pair of size-11 bowling shoes from the bag and offers them to Person as a chance to join him to Paradise.

Person, wearing size-11 shoes, rolls a ball down the alley; his eyes turn bright blue, too.

[3][4] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, saying it "Has a seductive easiness (which may not be for everyone, but it works), a laid-back yet ever-so-slightly portentous score and a wonderful sense of place.

"[5] Chuck Wilson of L.A. Weekly wrote: "More amiable than laugh-out-loud funny, the film pokes along, buoyed by the motel's bright Hawaiian color scheme, and a moonlit desert finale that's awfully pretty.

"[6] Robert Koehler of Variety wrote: ""Hobbled by uninspired stabs at cleverness and surreal narrative curlicues, The Big Empty goes nowhere, replete with a question mark of an ending that isn't worth answering.