Playground15

Directed by Laura Wandel | France | 2021 | 1h 12m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Maya Vanderbeque, Günter Duret, Lena Girard Voss

When seven-year-old Nora sees her older brother Abel being bullied at school, she rushes to protect him. However, her attempts to help only make matters worse. Featuring an extraordinary performance from young actress Maya Vanderbeque, Laura Wandel’s hard-hitting debut presents a child’s-eye-view of the harsh world of playground politics.

Shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Film and winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes Film Festival.

Reviews

‘A claustrophobic portrait of pre-adolescent turmoil, this is an exceptionally taut drama. It’s Wandel’s debut feature, and it feels like she’s been preparing for it her whole life.’
★★★★★
Alex Godfrey, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Playground between May 21, 2022 and May 25, 2022.

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What else is on?

Tomorrow (Thursday 9th May)

14:45

Close Your Eyes 12A
2h 49m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
A filmmaker is invited to be interviewed for a true-crime documentary about an actor who mysteriously disappeared decades ago. A stunning exploration of memory by legendary director Víctor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive).

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18:15

The Teachers' Lounge 12A
1h 39m | German w/ English subtitles
When one of her students becomes a suspect in a theft, a teacher resolves to uncover the truth. German director lker Çatak explores the school microcosm as a reflection of our society in this Oscar-nominated drama.

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20:30

Monkey Man 18
2h 1m
In an underground boxing club, a young fighter unleashes furious rage on the city’s corrupt elite who destroyed his family. A bone-crunching action revenge thriller directed by Dev Patel (The Green Knight).

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Friday 10th May

15:30

Opponent 15
1h 59m | Persian & Swedish w/ English subtitles
After a rumour forces a family to flee their home in Iran, the husband joins a Swedish wrestling team where the past comes back to haunt him in this complex drama exploring masculinity and the refugee experience.

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18:15

Civil War 15
1h 49m
With the US torn apart by civil war, a group of journalists cover the madness of the raging conflict. Kirsten Dunst stars in this intense and thought- provoking thriller by acclaimed filmmaker Alex Garland (Ex Machina).

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20:45

Sometimes I Think About Dying 12A
1h 33m
An introverted office worker feels as if she’s sleepwalking through life, until one day a colleague makes an unexpected connection in this wryly comic and wistful romantic drama starring Daisy Ridley.

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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!