Empire of Light trailer: Olivia Colman brings the house down in Sam Mendes’ compelling new drama

Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman is ready to bring the house down in Searchlight Pictures‘ Empire of Light trailer. The film hails from American Beauty and Skyfall director Sam Mendes, who travels back to the ’80s for this emotionally-charged drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times.

Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary (Olivia Colman), a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward), a new employee. He longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.

The Empire of Light trailer previews a powerhouse performance by Colman, with Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, and Crystal Clarke rounding out the cast. Reaching into the depths of the human condition, Empire of Light is about people looking to belong to something more significant and experience more out of life. The footage also depicts Colman’s character in the throes of mental collapse as the pressure of picking up the pieces of her shattered existence weighs on her body and soul. The film is also about making connections and finding comfort in unlikely places. Life can be hard at the best of times, though having friends and taking stock of the people who love you is often the key to survival and success. Hilary (Colman) will soon discover more about life when you let others in to help carry the burden.

What do you think about the Empire of Light trailer for Sam Mendes’ new drama? Will the movie give us another award-winning performance by Colman? Let us know what you think in the comments.