Challengers15

Directed by Luca Guadagnino | USA | 2024 | 2h 11m | Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Bryan Doo, A.J. Lister

Tenacious tennis player turned coach Tashi has been instrumental in propelling her husband to the pinnacle of his game. Seeking to snap him out of a recent losing streak, she enrols him in a “Challenger” tournament where, unknown to them, his former best friend (and Tashi’s ex-lover) has also entered. As the trio reunite, memories of their youthful love triangle resurface, giving rise to feelings of jealousy, lust, and betrayal. Zendaya and Josh O’Connor co-star in this propulsively energic and seductive sports drama directed by the award-winning filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name).

Reviews

‘The most purely pleasurable film of the year so far. Like a great tennis match, it’s a clash of sleekly honed bodies and minds, and the question of who finally comes out on top is irrelevant to the fun of the struggle itself.’
★★★★★
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

‘Luca Guadagnino’s thrilling new movie posits that every conversation is a tennis match, and every tennis match is a sex scene – you will be powerless to resist it’
★★★★★
Clarisse Loughery, The Independent

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Challengers between May 17, 2024 and May 30, 2024.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 11th June)

20:30

The Christophers 15
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

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Tomorrow (Friday 12th June)

15:15

The Christophers 15
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

Book here

17:45

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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20:15

Fairyland 15
1h 56m
Set in San Francisco from the 1970s to 1980s, this drama follows a father and daughter navigating bohemian life and social change as their bond is tested by the AIDS crisis. Adapted from Alysia Abbott’s memoir, it’s a tender coming-of-age story of love and resilience.

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23:00

Army of Darkness 15
1h 21m
To celebrate 10 amazing and chaotic years of Oxford’s underground, gonzo movie night, Cinema Under the Stairs, the gang bring Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness to the UPP for a special evening of midnight movie mania. Book now to avoid disappointment. GROOVY!

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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!