Killer of Sheep15

Directed by Charles Burnett | USA | 1977 | 1h 20m | Starring Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett, Eugene Cherry

In South Central Los Angeles, Stan endures long, gruelling hours at a slaughterhouse to support his family. Surrounded daily by the stench of decay and the harsh realities of his work, he grows increasingly detached from his loved ones, his community, and ultimately, himself. Largely unseen for decades after its completion in 1977, Charles Burnett’s pioneering feature debut is now celebrated as a landmark of American independent cinema that brought Black American life to the screen with unprecedented intimacy and humanity.

Reviews

‘Killer of Sheep, largely hidden from view for three decades, is an American masterpiece, independent to the bone.’
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Killer of Sheep between October 26, 2025 and October 27, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Wednesday 24th June)

14:45

Naked 18
2h 6m
A restless drifter prowls London’s night streets, clashing with everyone he meets. Mike Leigh’s darkly comic, provocative character study is driven by David Thewlis’s electrifying performance as one of cinema’s most unforgettable antiheroes.

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18:00

Backrooms 15
1h 45m
When a patient vanishes through a strange basement doorway of a furniture showroom, his therapist follows him into a disorienting dimension. Expanding Kane Parsons’ cult online series, this feature-length adaptation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and bringing “liminal horror” to the big screen.

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20:30

Gummo 18
35mm Presentation
1h 29m
In a forgotten Midwestern town, a group of outsiders drift through a series of strange, unsettling encounters. Gummo is a raw, unconventional cult film that captures the surreal edges of everyday life in America. Presented on 35mm film.

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Tomorrow (Thursday 25th June)

12:30

Madfabulous 12A
Parent + Baby Screening
1h 48m
1890s North Wales. Young aristocrat Henry Paget inherits an estate and scandalises polite society. Inspired by a true story, this riotous period drama stars Callum Scott Howells and Rupert Everett in a joyful celebration of spectacle, self-expression, and refusing to conform.

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15:30

Madfabulous 12A
1h 48m
1890s North Wales. Young aristocrat Henry Paget inherits an estate and scandalises polite society. Inspired by a true story, this riotous period drama stars Callum Scott Howells and Rupert Everett in a joyful celebration of spectacle, self-expression, and refusing to conform.

Book here

18:00

Red Rooms 18
1h 58m | French w/ English subtitles
A young woman becomes fixated on a high-profile murder trial, drawn into a disturbing online underworld. Red Pascal Plante’s tense, chilling thriller explores obsession, true crime, and the darker edges of internet culture.

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20:45

Wiñaypacha Cert-TBC
1h 26m | Aymaran w/ English subtitles
An elderly couple in Peru’s remote Andes endure harsh daily realities while awaiting their son’s return from the city. Óscar Catacora’s award-winning debut reflects Peruvian culture, traditions and cosmology. Presented by the University of Oxford Indigenous Society.

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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 only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!