Empire of Lies review – far-right conspiracist and YouTuber lock horns in Gloucestershire field

2026-03-24 - 07:09

A reclusive man is visited by a woman who claims to be seeking the truth about his daughter’s murder in this taut but predictable thriller There are no prizes for guessing the twist at the end of this claustrophobic two-hander set entirely in a field in Gloucestershire. It starts with a promising premise for a low-budget psychological thriller, and there are solid performances from its two actors, but the film never quite generates enough genuine emotion or moments of intrigue to keep it interesting. Dave, played by Joseph Millson, is a middle-aged man who lives in a caravan in a field in the middle of farmland and keeps a gun in the kitchen cupboard. Millson’s physical presence does a lot to create a sense of foreboding at the start of the film – all fear and self-loathing, coiled with barely repressed rage. Dave has isolated himself from the world, but then a young woman (Natalie Spence), claiming to be a YouTuber, stomps into his field brandishing a camera. Continue reading...