It Was Just An Accident12A

Directed by Jafar Panahi | France/Iran/Luxembourg | 2025 | 1h 44m | Persian w/ English subtitles | Starring Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi

Azerbaijani car mechanic Vahid still bears the scars of his past when he was imprisoned and interrogated blindfolded by Iranian authorities. One day, after a road accident, a man named Eghbal enters his workshop with a creaking prosthetic leg. Vahid is struck by a chilling thought: could this be one of his former torturers? As suspicion turns to obsession, he begins to contemplate revenge. After years of censorship and imprisonment, award-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi returns with a tense and unforgettable thriller which won the Palme d’Or (Best Film) at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Reviews

Panahi holds this tonal range expertly as laughs give away to a probing, philosophical third act that upends expectations in quietly thrilling style.’
★★★★★
Philip De Semlyen, The Times

‘It’s another very impressive serio-comic film from one of the most distinctive and courageous figures in world cinema.’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Book tickets

Friday 19 December

 6.00pmBook tickets
Saturday 20 December

 8.30pmBook tickets
Sunday 21 December

 2.30pmBook tickets
Monday 22 December

 8.30pmBook tickets
Tuesday 23 December

£6 for members

 6.00pmBook tickets
Wednesday 31 December

 3.00pmBook tickets
Thursday 1 January

 5.00pmBook tickets
Friday 2 January

 8.30pmBook tickets
Saturday 3 January

 2.30pmBook tickets
Wednesday 7 January

 8.30pmBook tickets
Thursday 8 January

 6.00pmBook tickets

What else is on?

Today (Thursday 18th December)
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15:30

Pillion 18
1h 47m
Quiet traffic warden Colin’s life radically shifts when a domineering biker draws him into an unexpected BDSM relationship. Navigating desire, vulnerability, and boundaries, he uncovers new emotional depths. Harry Lighton’s fearless debut blends comedy, kink, and tenderness, starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård.

Book here

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18:00

Alpha 18
2h 8m | French w/ English subtitles
Rebellious Alpha clashes with her doctor mother amid fears she’s infected by a terrifying blood-borne disease turning victims to marble. Julia Ducournau fuses body horror with emotional intensity, creating a visceral coming-of-age tale about identity, love, and fragile family bonds.

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20:45

The Ice Tower 15
1h 57m | French w/ English subtitles
Runaway teenager Jeanne finds refuge in a film studio adapting The Snow Queen and becomes enthralled by enigmatic star Cristina. Marion Cotillard mesmerises in Lucile Hadžihalilović’s dreamlike, 1970s-infused tale of obsession, underscored by a hypnotic score.

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Tomorrow (Friday 19th December)
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15:30

Blue Moon 15
Descriptive Subtitles
1h 40m
On 31 March 1943, lyricist Lorenz Hart drinks alone at Sardi’s as former collaborator Richard Rodgers basks in Oklahoma!’s triumph. While accolades flood in, Hart unravels with bittersweet candour. Ethan Hawke shines in Richard Linklater’s real-time meditation on art, regret, and legacy.

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18:00

It Was Just an Accident 12A
1h 44m | Persian w/ English subtitles
Azerbaijani mechanic Vahid suspects a customer is his former Iranian torturer. After years of censorship and a recent spell in jail, celebrated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi returns with a thrilling tale of obsession, paranoia, and vengeance. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

Pillion 18
1h 47m
Quiet traffic warden Colin’s life radically shifts when a domineering biker draws him into an unexpected BDSM relationship. Navigating desire, vulnerability, and boundaries, he uncovers new emotional depths. Harry Lighton’s fearless debut blends comedy, kink, and tenderness, starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård.

Book here


See all upcoming films

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!

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