Empire of Light 15

Mon 9 Jan – Thu 9 Feb
★★★★ – Guardian

Full (peak)

£9.20

Full (off-peak)

£8.20

Senior Citizen

£7.50

Member (peak)

£7.90

Member (off-peak)

£7

Member (Conc)

£6.30

U25 & Students

£5

Disabled or Unwaged

£5

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth

Year: 2022

Duration: 119 mins

Certificate: 15


"★★★★ – a heartwarming reminder of the joy, comfort and necessity of the big screen experience" – Evening Standard


"★★★★ – An engrossing, poignantly observed and beautifully acted drama about love, life and the fragile art of moviegoing" – Guardian


Olivia Colman dazzles in Sam Mendes’ love letter to the big screen experience, playing Hilary, the dedicated manager of the struggling Empire cinema on Margate seafront.


The Empire provides a picturesque backdrop to the lives of those within - Hilary’s struggles with her mental health, newcomer Stephen (Micheal Ward) navigating racist attitudes of the time and the burgeoning relationship between the two of them.


An absorbing drama about the fragility of love, life, and the solace one finds as the curtain opens and lights go down.