Killer of Sheep15

Directed by Charles Burnett | USA | 1977 | 1h 20m | Starring Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett, Eugene Cherry

In South Central Los Angeles, Stan endures long, gruelling hours at a slaughterhouse to support his family. Surrounded daily by the stench of decay and the harsh realities of his work, he grows increasingly detached from his loved ones, his community, and ultimately, himself. Largely unseen for decades after its completion in 1977, Charles Burnett’s pioneering feature debut is now celebrated as a landmark of American independent cinema that brought Black American life to the screen with unprecedented intimacy and humanity.

Reviews

‘Killer of Sheep, largely hidden from view for three decades, is an American masterpiece, independent to the bone.’
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Killer of Sheep between October 26, 2025 and October 27, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 8th October)

21:00

MISSNOMA Women’s DJ Collective N/A
The Oxford-based women’s DJ collective MISSNOMA, is joining forces with the UPP cinema to hold a unique listening-room session featuring DJs Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani, Lily London, and Martha, powered by Oxford-based FLOW soundsystem.

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Tomorrow (Friday 9th October)

14:00

De Gaulle: Liberté 15
2h 39m | French w/ English subtitles
June 1940: France has fallen and signed an armistice with Germany. With no army, no backing and little hope, General de Gaulle gambles everything to convince the world France's fight isn't over. Part two of Antonin Baudry's historical epic.

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17:30

Sense and Sensibility U
2h 12m
Mrs Dashwood and her daughters lose their Sussex home to her stepson and move to a Devon cottage, finding love and heartbreak. Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) directs Jane Austen's story, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fiona Shaw and George MacKay.

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20:30

Babystar 12A
1h 38m | German w/ English subtitles
Luca has been an influencer since birth, and her parents live off her income. As they consider having another child, performing for strangers starts to break her. Maja Bons gives a breakout performance in Joscha Bongard's unsettling debut.

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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!