15 Overhyped Movies You Wish You'd Not Watched

Similarly to the aforementioned The Monuments Men, Empire of Light was an Oscar-Bait flop that had all the ingredients for a great success - Sam Mendes as director, a killer cast, Roger Deakins as cinematographer and many powerful, relevant themes - and was instead little more than a numbingly tedious slog. 

The biggest problem with Empire of Light is that there's far too much going on. The film examines racism, sexual misconduct, mental illness and the healing power of cinema but it's so scattershot and rushed that barely any of it lands at all, and what little does work is only thanks to the committed performances from the cast. 

In the end, there really isn't an awful lot to take from Empire of Light and the main feeling it provokes is one of intense frustration. The film does flicker to life occasionally and it's entirely evident that there was potential for something truly awesome here. Alas, it wasn't to be. It's never enjoyable to see something that sounded so good squander so much promise.