Empire of Light

Directed by: Sam Mendes

 

Distribution:

Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward , Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Tom Brooke, Hannah Onslow

 

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1h55

Quality: Digital

 


Synopsis

The Empire is the kind of movie house you don’t see too often anymore, framed by bright lights and a beautiful marquee, graciously inviting all into its red-velvet seats. Hilary serves at the front of house, opening the theatre every morning and overseeing a brimming concession stand. Meanwhile, her manager calls her into his office from time to time for illicit favours. It’s a gloomy routine that Hilary grudgingly repeats, but all her co-workers recognize that she’s been a lot quieter since returning to the job after a long absence.

When Stephen arrives as an eager new employee, the two form a quick, if outwardly unlikely, connection. Hilary hides a troubled past, struggling to manage her mental health, while Stephen, a young Black man, grapples with the racism rampant in 1980s Britain. Both wounded by aggressions outside their control, they find an escape and safe harbour in one another — but their relationship, like the Empire cinema itself, cannot last forever, and soon the pair must face the reality of their differing futures.

Release Date:

January 6, 2023