Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai15

Directed by Jim Jarmusch | USA | 1999 | 1h 56m | Starring Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Frank Minucci

In 1990s New York, a self-taught hitman lives by a strict code of honour drawn from ancient Japanese traditions. But when a job goes wrong, he finds himself betrayed by his employers and hunted by the mafia. Starring Forest Whitaker in one of his most iconic roles, Jim Jarmusch’s postmodern riff on the hitman thriller blends gangster cinema with martial arts mythology, and features a brilliant original score from Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA (who also has a cameo).

Reviews

‘At once a tribute to traditional notions of honour, loyalty, friendship and professionalism, and a stylish, ironic pastiche inspired by the likes of Melville and Suzuki, it’s very funny, insightful, and highly original.’
★★★★
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

‘A downbeat, stylish and strange film’
★★★★
Simon Braund, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai between August 15, 2025 and August 16, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Saturday 12th September)

11:00

Making Cars PG
Free Screening + Intro
54m
Five-part Channel 4 series telling the history of Cowley's Morris Motors and Pressed Steel factories through the voices of the workers themselves. Long thought lost, now rediscovered, join us for FREE screenings of episode one for Oxford Open Doors weekend.

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15:00

All About My Mother 15
35mm Presentation
1h 41m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
A grieving mother goes out to find the father of her deceased son, and unexpectedly becomes the heart of a makeshift family. Pedro Almodóvar’s vivid, Oscar-winning meoldrama is a tender exploration of the meaning of motherhood. Presented on 35mm film.

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17:45

Bitter Christmas 15
1h 51m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film is a sun-dappled exploration of life, art and storytelling, as two filmmakers’ lives intertwine in a playful meditation on memory, creativity and the blurred boundaries between reality and fiction.

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20:15

Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Mias 15
1h 52m
Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow) unleashes a bloody, bewildering meta-horror, as a young director and a reclusive scream queen descend into a delirious world of queer desire, fear and blood-soaked obsession. Starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson.

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Tomorrow (Sunday 13th September)

15:00

Making Cars PG
Free Screening + Q&A
54m
Five-part Channel 4 series telling the history of Cowley's Morris Motors and Pressed Steel factories through the voices of the workers themselves. Long thought lost, now rediscovered, join us for FREE screenings of episode one for Oxford Open Doors weekend.

Book here

17:30

Raiders of the Lost Ark 12A
1h 55m
Archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) races the Nazis across the globe to find the mystical Ark of the Covenant, with old flame Marion Ravenwood along for the ride. Spielberg's whip-cracking classic returns for its 45th anniversary.

Book here

20:15

Bitter Christmas 15
1h 51m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film is a sun-dappled exploration of life, art and storytelling, as two filmmakers’ lives intertwine in a playful meditation on memory, creativity and the blurred boundaries between reality and fiction.

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 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!