Breaking The Waves18

Directed by Lars von Trier | Denmark | 1996 | 2h 39m | Starring Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr, Adrian Rawlins

In a small coastal town in Scotland, Bess, a religious young woman, falls in love with Jan, a charming oil rig worker. Shortly after they marry, an unfortunate work accident leaves Jan paralysed and shatters Bess’s world completely. Unable to perform sexually, Jan persuades Bess to have sex with other men, which she comes to believe is God’s work and will cure her husband. Brazen and tender, profane and pure, Lars von Trier became an international sensation with this galvanising realist fable about sex and spiritual transcendence.

Reviews

‘An earnest, yet harrowing, heartbreaker…’
★★★★★
Kevin Maher, The Times

‘Von Trier’s patent insincerity and facetiousness could be read as a satire on movie emotionalism, or as its own kind of conceptual art. Either way, it’s quite an experience.’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Breaking The Waves between November 12, 2023 and November 13, 2023.

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Today (Friday 23rd May)

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20:45

The Surfer 15
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Tomorrow (Saturday 24th May)

15:45

Two to One 12A
1h 55m | German w/ English subtitles
A hilarious race against time begins when a family finds old East German cash just as it’s losing value. Sandra Hüller stars in this warm-hearted comedy about capitalism, community, and socialist values colliding with newfound consumerist freedom.

Book here

18:15

The Surfer 15
1h 40m
A father-son surfing trip spirals into paranoia and humiliation when a local conflict escalates dangerously. Nicolas Cage stars in this sun-scorched, hallucinatory thriller blending psychological tension with the anarchic spirit of Ozploitation classics.

Book here

20:30

The Wedding Banquet 15
1h 43m
A green-card marriage plan goes off the rails when a gay man's grandmother unexpectedly arrives in America expecting a traditional Korean wedding. This vibrant remake of Ang Lee’s classic celebrates queer love, family chaos, and cultural identity.

Book here


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!