Empire of Light15

Directed by Sam Mendes | UK | 2022 | 1h 55m | Starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tanya Moodie

In a British seaside town during the early 1980s, a once popular cinema struggles to attract audiences. Cinema manager Hilary also faces her own personal struggles. However, the offer of a special premiere as well as the arrival of new member of staff sparks the cinema – and Hilary – into life. Olivia Colman gives a beautifully moving performance in this stirring ode to cinema, written and directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917).

Join us on Friday 10th February for a special Q&A screening with the film’s producer and Chair of BAFTA, Dame Pippa Harris. Click here to book tickets. 

Reviews

‘An engrossing, poignantly observed and beautifully acted drama about love, life and the fragile art of moviegoing…’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘It’s a heartwarming reminder of the joy, comfort and necessity of the big screen experience.’
★★★★
Luke Hearfield, London Evening Standard

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Empire of Light between February 3, 2023 and February 16, 2023.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Tomorrow (Sunday 28th April)
Find out more

15:00

Ratatouille PG
1h 51m
Food Film Classics
Brad Bird's five-star animated family classic (with a zero-star hygiene rating) following the highs and lows of Linguini, a clumsy aspiring chef, and his highly skilled co-cook Remy...who happens to be a rat.

Book here

Find out more

17:30

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Residents of a rural village outside Tokyo oppose the development of a nearby luxury "glamping" site in this captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).

Book here

Find out more

20:00

Disco Boy 15
1h 33m | French w/ English subtitles
A Belarusian migrant arrives in Paris and joins the Foreign Legion in order to attain French citizenship in this dreamlike debut by Italian filmmaker Giacomo Abbruzzese, starring Franz Rogowski (Passages).

Book here


Monday 29th April
Find out more

18:00

Ratatouille PG
1h 51m
Food Film Classics
Brad Bird's five-star animated family classic (with a zero-star hygiene rating) following the highs and lows of Linguini, a clumsy aspiring chef, and his highly skilled co-cook Remy...who happens to be a rat.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Residents of a rural village outside Tokyo oppose the development of a nearby luxury "glamping" site in this captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).

Book here


See all upcoming films

Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

Find out more