Harakiri15

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi | Japan | 1964 | 2h 14m | Japanese w/ English subtitles | Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba, Masao Mishima

After the fall of his clan, masterless samurai Hanshirō arrives at the estate of Lord Iyi, asking permission to end his life through ritual suicide. The clan’s senior counsellor doubts the ronin’s sincerity, suspecting he’s simply looking for charity. But Hanshirō is not what he seems, and his quiet determination hides a deeper purpose. Masaki Kobayashi’s gripping period drama, winner of the Cannes Special Jury Prize, is a bold critique of hypocrisy, a stirring portrait of individual will, and is now hailed as one of the greatest achievements in Japanese cinema.

Reviews

‘It would be wrong for me to reveal the details of the story Tsugumo tells. What I can say is that it is heartbreaking.’
★★★★★
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Harakiri between July 28, 2025 and July 30, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 29th January)

20:30

Marty Supreme 15
2h 30m
1950s New Yorker Marty Mauser dreams of becoming a table tennis legend while juggling ambition, love, and personal turmoil. Timothée Chalamet shines in Josh Safdie’s (Uncut Gems) electrifying tale of fame, obsession, and the intoxicating lure of the American Dream.

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Tomorrow (Friday 30th January)

15:45

The Voice of Hind Rajab Cert-TBC
1h 30m | Arabic w/ English subtitles
A girl trapped under Israeli fire reaches Red Crescent volunteers who battle impossible rescue protocols to save her. Kaouther Ben Hania’s harrowing docu-fiction hybrid confronts audiences with children’s suffering in Gaza, earning the Silver Lion and representing Tunisia at the Oscars.

Book here

18:00

Hamnet 12A
2h 6m
Shakespeare and his wife endure the devastating loss of their young son, straining love and family bonds. Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland) poignant adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel captures grief, creativity, and resilience, with moving performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

Book here

20:45

Marty Supreme 15
2h 30m
1950s New Yorker Marty Mauser dreams of becoming a table tennis legend while juggling ambition, love, and personal turmoil. Timothée Chalamet shines in Josh Safdie’s (Uncut Gems) electrifying tale of fame, obsession, and the intoxicating lure of the American Dream.

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!