Empire of Light

R

Released Dec 9, 2022

1 hr. 59 min.

Romance

Drama

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List

45%

258 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

50+ Verified Ratings

Audience Score

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, from Academy Award®-winning director Sam Mendes.

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Critics Consensus

Empire of Light contains some fine performances and a few flashes of brilliance, but this tribute to the magic of cinema is disappointingly mundane.

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Audience Consensus

Empire of Light's involving story, beautiful cinematography, and great performances overshadow the movie's slow pace and occasionally scattered focus.

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PATRICK

Very slow moving. Acting was quite good but not much a story.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Mr. Hollywood

Couldve been better. Too bad they went the cliche route and ended up being a been there done that in many other movies. Movie has great cinematography but the story is cliched and nothing new.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/06/23

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James and Catherine Steinman

The acting, directing and production were all incredible. Only disappointed in the sound volume being a bit low, though it may have been subdued by the rain on the roof during our viewing. We are anticipating high scores at the BAFTAs and any other credible reviews.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/04/23

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Franzi

Coleman is brilliant, the cinematography fabulous and Michael Ward lovely.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/23

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Lauren

I enjoyed the scenery and the plot. It was a movie with depth and substance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/01/23

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Bibiano

Coleman’s performance stole the show. Film did move a bit slow at certain parts. The ending was bittersweet.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/31/22

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Sam Mendes

Director

Olivia Colman

Hilary

Micheal Ward

Stephen

Colin Firth

Mr. Ellis

Toby Jones

Norman

Crystal Clarke

Ruby

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Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Beach

0:40

Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Illusion of Life

0:51

Empire of Light: Movie Clip - You Have to Go Out and Get It

0:45

Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Fishing

1:36

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Empire of Light: Featurette - A Deeply Personal Story

3:41

Empire of Light: Exclusive Featurette - That Little Beam of Light Is An Escape

3:47

Empire of Light: Trailer 1

1:34

Empire of Light: Teaser Trailer

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

Empire of Light is a dull historical romance that isn’t even amusing enough to be offensive. It has its moments, but you’d be hard pressed to remember them later.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 4, 2023

Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

These are tricky scenes to bring off, but Mendes has written them with such care and Colman performs them with such a delicate awareness of just how far they should be taken that the swift changes in pace and tone don’t hit a false note.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 2, 2023

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

The main location for the film was a real cinema that had fallen into disrepair and was restored to its former magnificence. It provides a vital centre for this poignant, intelligent, handsome film.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 25, 2023

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Andrew Galdi

Movie Bitches

I did not enjoy it, too navel gaze-y, too long, too depressing

Apr 24, 2024

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David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

Sees Mendes return back to a time when his movies actually said something. If you go into this film expecting this to be like his work on the James Bond franchise you will be disappointed - this is a love letter to cinema from Mendes himself.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 18, 2023

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John Serba

Decider

Empire of Light’s lack of focus and glaringly obvious thematic overtures had me wondering if we’d be better off watching these characters sit through a screening of An American Werewolf in London or Time Bandits instead.

Oct 16, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, from Academy Award®-winning director Sam Mendes.

Director: Sam Mendes
Executive Producer: Michael Lerman, Julie Pastor
Screenwriter: Sam Mendes
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Production Co: Searchlight Pictures, Neal Street Productions
Rating: R (Language|Brief Violence|Sexual Content)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 9, 2022, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 7, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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