Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
The duty manager of a seaside cinema, who is struggling with her mental health, forms a relationship with a new employee on the south coast of England in the 1980s.
Empire of Light features luminous cinematography from Roger Deakins, capturing the seaside setting and cinema interiors with extraordinary beauty, and Olivia Colman delivers a powerhouse performance anchoring the film. However, the plot struggles with tonal inconsistency, awkwardly yoking together mental illness, a May-December romance, and 1980s racism without fully integrating these threads into a cohesive dramatic whole. The screenplay feels underwritten and the thematic ambitions outpace the narrative execution. The ending is emotionally sincere but somewhat muted. Novelty is moderate — the setting and period texture are distinctive but the emotional beats follow familiar patterns.