The Empire

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The Empire

1h 50m

Comedy

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Drama

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64%

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14 Reviews

50%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

In a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, something finally happens: a special baby is born. A child so unique and peculiar that it unleashes a secret war between extraterrestrial forces of good and evil. In an attempt to restore their empires, two opposing forces from the depths of outer space, One and Zero, unleash an apocalyptic conflict on Earth. Demons of the Zero forces covertly take over the village locals, possessing their bodies in order to establish pandemonium on earth. But at the same time, a new species of creature formed by the Ones is working for an alternative and beneficial evolution. While waiting for the final battle, the imperial legions struggle to win humanity over to their cause. A slapstick intergalactic space opera from the singular mind of auteur Bruno Dumont, The Empire is a dramatic blockbuster spectacle and a comedic tour de force that pits good against evil, One against Zero in a fabulous tale of the forces that shape the world and humans into what they are.

Bruno Dumont

Director

Anamaria Vartolomei

Actor

Lyna Khoudri

Actor

Camille Cottin

Actor

Fabrice Luchini

Actor

Julien Manier

Actor

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Formerly provocative French auteur Bruno Dumont continues his recent slide into dross with this tedious sci-fi parody set in the northern French department Pas-de-Calais.

Rated: 1/5

Feb 20, 2024

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David Jenkins

Little White Lies

Character development or basic reasoning as to why one action leads to another are pointedly missing in action, but that, in many ways, is all part of the fun of this unabashedly personal cine-UFO.

Feb 19, 2024

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Jonathan Romney

Screen International

There is little here to appeal outside the hardcore of long-term Dumont followers – and even they may decide that this starship runs out of fuel too soon.

Feb 19, 2024

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Nilton Arana

Cinencuentro

While the film is enriched by its philosophical subtext, it crumbles in its execution. [Full review in Spanish]

Oct 29, 2024

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Martin Kudlac

ScreenAnarchy

Bruno Dumont's sci-fi venture might be mistaken for a hillbilly Star Wars with its evident tongue-in-cheek approach. Dumont's approach is far more ambitious ... Stands out as a rugpulling experience, a low-fi action spectacle with a high-budget execution.

May 23, 2024

Full Review

Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

If you've ever wondered what a Star Wars pastiche by Monty Python might look like if barely any of the jokes landed then the latest film from Bruno Dumont is for you.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 21, 2024

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Rory M

I thought it was perfectly adequate in what it set out to do

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/24

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yann s

Good to help for sleeping

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/21/24

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Synopsis

In a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, something finally happens: a special baby is born. A child so unique and peculiar that it unleashes a secret war between extraterrestrial forces of good and evil. In an attempt to restore their empires, two opposing forces from the depths of outer space, One and Zero, unleash an apocalyptic conflict on Earth. Demons of the Zero forces covertly take over the village locals, possessing their bodies in order to establish pandemonium on earth. But at the same time, a new species of creature formed by the Ones is working for an alternative and beneficial evolution. While waiting for the final battle, the imperial legions struggle to win humanity over to their cause. A slapstick intergalactic space opera from the singular mind of auteur Bruno Dumont, The Empire is a dramatic blockbuster spectacle and a comedic tour de force that pits good against evil, One against Zero in a fabulous tale of the forces that shape the world and humans into what they are.

Director: Bruno Dumont
Producer: Joaquim Sapinho, Olivier Dubois, Marta Alves, Fabrizio Mosca, Jean Bréhat, Bertrand Faivre
Screenwriter: Bruno Dumont
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Tessalit Films
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 7, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 50m