Empire

Empire

Year: 2023

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: Danish

Director: Frederikke Aspöck

DramaComedy

Anna Elizabeth Heegaard, a free‑colored woman of considerable wealth who owns slaves, embarks on a passionate affair with Peter von Scholten, the governor‑general of the Danish colony. At elaborate communal meals they debate social reforms while a slave boy is suspended above the table, fanning diners with a feather, and the undercurrent of a looming slave uprising begins to stir.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Empire yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Empire (2023)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Empire (2023). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary / Present day

The events unfold in present-day Moscow, reflecting modern politics and the allure of wealth. Vampire society operates in a timeless loop, where new bloodlines rise alongside financial empires. The timeline emphasizes current concerns rather than historical past.

Location

Moscow

Set in contemporary Moscow, the film depicts a glittering nocturnal underworld where vampires maneuver behind opulent mansions and the city serves as a stage for wealth-driven power plays. The urban backdrop amplifies satire of Russia's power elite, blending glamour with menace. The neon-lit streets and gilded interiors mirror the shifting balance of influence in a world ruled by beauty, blood and money.

🏙️ Moscow 🧛 Vampire society 💼 Power elite

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:33

Main Characters – Empire (2023)

Meet the key characters of Empire (2023), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Roman / Rama

A 19-year-old who is lured by the promise of a better future and becomes the Tongue's host, entering a glittering but dangerous vampire world. He grapples with arrogance, doubt, and a growing conscience as he learns to wield glamour and memory-based power. His transformation from naive loser to calculating player drives the film's tension.

🧭 Identity 🔥 Ambition 🧠 Knowledge

Hera

A fellow initiate whom Rama meets online; she is young, curious, and as confused as Rama about their new life. She forms a bond with Rama that tests loyalty and desire while navigating the vampire hierarchy.

💞 Romance 🧭 Partnership 🧠 Learning

Mithra

A mentor figure who appears disinterested, yet guides Rama through the realities of their powers and the true purpose of the Tongue. Mithra embodies the cool, calculating approach of the vampire elite and challenges Rama's ethics.

🎓 Mentor 🧭 Guidance 🧠 Intelligence

Enlil

Senior vampire and corporate-style manager who outlines the operation of the vampiric hierarchy. He appears as the archetypal leader, explaining the world’s governance and its cinematic nods to vampire cinema.

🏢 Authority 🧛 Elite 💬 Leadership

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:33

Major Themes – Empire (2023)

Explore the central themes of Empire (2023), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💎 Power & Wealth

The film uses the vampire court as a glare of the power elite, satirizing how money, beauty and influence govern society. It treats wealth as a seductive force that corrupts perception and morality. The Tongue and the Great Fall become vehicles to critique how elites manipulate others for advantage.

🧛 Vampirism & Immortality

Vampires in Empire V are not mere hunters but highly controlled beings who gain access to others' memories through the Tongue. Immortality is tied to ritual transfer and alliance-building within a secret hierarchy. The glamour and discipline mask a cold, calculating culture.

🎭 Performance & Deception

Glamor and Discourses are used to blind humanity to the hidden reality of the world. Characters master rhetorical devices to influence minds while ignoring ethics. The public persona of Moscow's elite reveals a theatre of power where appearances matter more than truth.

🗝️ Knowledge & Memory

The Tongue carries the memories and experiences of former donors, enabling Rama to learn from past minds. Red Liquid acts as vessels of knowledge rather than nourishment. The Great Fall becomes a rite that tests ambition and loyalty, pushing Rama toward a murky path of power.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:33

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about dark glamour and societal rot like in Empire

Stories where opulent surfaces conceal dangerous secrets and moral rot.If you liked the lavish but perilous world of Empire, explore more movies like it. These films feature opulent settings, elite characters, and a cool, observational style that exposes the dark secrets and moral compromises festering beneath a beautiful surface.

glamoroussardonicperilouscoolobservationaluncannymanipulativehypnotic

Narrative Summary

These narratives often follow characters navigating exclusive, high-stakes environments where power is the ultimate currency. The central conflict arises from the tension between the glittering facade and the corrupt or dangerous reality, forcing characters to confront uncomfortable truths about the systems they inhabit or benefit from.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their shared mood of sardonic glamour and peril, a high emotional weight stemming from societal critique, and a complex narrative structure that peels back layers of a seemingly perfect world. The tone is consistently dark, blending observational coolness with sharp, critical insight.

Movies with manipulative relationships and power struggles like in Empire

Love stories where attraction is intertwined with manipulation and parasitic control.For viewers who enjoyed the complex, parasitic romance in Empire, this list features similar movies about manipulative relationships and surreal power dynamics. Discover stories where love is a game of control, memory, or initiation, set against high-stakes backdrops.

manipulativeuncannyhypnoticperiloussardonicobsessivecontrollingpsychologically tense

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern centers on a central relationship where one partner holds significant power—be it physical, psychological, or supernatural—over the other. The story explores the initiation, seduction, and consequences of this dynamic, often building towards an ambiguous resolution that questions the nature of consent, agency, and love within a system of control.

Why These Movies?

These films share a heavy emotional weight, a dark tone, and high intensity driven by psychological manipulation. They feature complex characters navigating relationships that are as alluring as they are dangerous, creating a hypnotic and uncanny viewing experience focused on the blurred lines between passion and parasitism.

Unlock the Full Story of Empire

Don't stop at just watching — explore Empire in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Empire is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Empire Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Empire, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Empire Summary

Empire Timeline

Track the full timeline of Empire with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Empire Timeline

Empire Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Empire that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Empire Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Empire

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Empire: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Empire

Similar Movies to Empire

Discover movies like Empire that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.