• Home
  • Movies
  • More Explore More

Empire of Light

R

1h 54min

December 9, 2022

Drama, Romance

From Academy Award®-winning director and writer Sam Mendes (Directing, “American Beauty,” 1999), “Empire of Light” is a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary (Olivia Colman), a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward), a new employee who longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Both Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship, and come to experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.

Rated: R
Runtime: 1h 54min
Release Date: December 9, 2022

  • Directed By

    Sam Mendes
  • Written By

    Sam Mendes
  • Produced By

    Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris
  • Cast

    Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Crystal Clarke, Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Tanya Moodie
  • Awards

    • Nominee - 2023 Academy Award® for Cinematography
  • rated R
  • motionpictures.org
  • filmratings.com

VIDEOS

      • EMPIRE OF LIGHT | “You Have To Go Out and Get It” Clip | Searchlight Pictures

      • EMPIRE OF LIGHT | “Beach” Clip | Searchlight Pictures

      • EMPIRE OF LIGHT | “A Deeply Personal Story” Featurette | Searchlight Pictures

      • EMPIRE OF LIGHT | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures

RECOMMENDED MOVIES

      • The Menu

      • The Banshees of Inisherin

      • Amsterdam

      • See How They Run

      • Nightmare Alley

      • The French Dispatch

      • West Side Story

      • The Personal History of David Copperfield

      • If Beale Street Could Talk

      • Far from the Madding Crowd

      • If I Stay

      • Love Finds You in Sugarcreek

      • The Fault in Our Stars

      • Romeo and Juliet

      • Slumdog Millionaire

      • The Devil Wears Prada

      • The Family Stone

      • Walk the Line

      • Moulin Rouge!

      • Ever After: A Cinderella Story

  • Searchlight
  • Redeem Digital Codes
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • ©2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.