Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Mar 27 Buy Now

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Empire of Light

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Empire of Light

What to Know

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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Audience Reviews

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PATRICK Very slow moving. Acting was quite good but not much a story. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • 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 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/06/23 Full Review 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 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/04/23 Full Review Franzi Coleman is brilliant, the cinematography fabulous and Michael Ward lovely. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/01/23 Full Review Lauren I enjoyed the scenery and the plot. It was a movie with depth and substance. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/01/23 Full Review Bibiano Coleman’s performance stole the show. Film did move a bit slow at certain parts. The ending was bittersweet. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/31/22 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

Cast & Crew

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

Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Beach Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Beach 0:40 Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Illusion of Life Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Illusion of Life 0:51 Empire of Light: Movie Clip - You Have to Go Out and Get It Empire of Light: Movie Clip - You Have to Go Out and Get It 0:45 Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Fishing Empire of Light: Movie Clip - Fishing 1:36 View more videos

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Videos

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Empire of Light

Empire of Light: Featurette - A Deeply Personal Story Empire of Light: Featurette - A Deeply Personal Story 3:41 Empire of Light: Exclusive Featurette - That Little Beam of Light Is An Escape Empire of Light: Exclusive Featurette - That Little Beam of Light Is An Escape 3:47 Empire of Light: Trailer 1 Empire of Light: Trailer 1 1:34 Empire of Light: Teaser Trailer Empire of Light: Teaser Trailer 1:13 View more videos

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Critics Reviews

View All (258) Critics Reviews
Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (1) 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 Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (2) 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 Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (3) 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 Full Review Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Andrew Galdi Movie Bitches I did not enjoy it, too navel gaze-y, too long, too depressing Apr 24, 2024 Full Review Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (5) 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 Full Review Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (6) 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 Read all reviews

Movie Info

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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Empire of Light | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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