Kokuho15

Directed by Lee Sang-il | Japan | 2025 | 2h 55m | Japanese w/ English subtitles | Starring Ryô Yoshizawa, Ryûsei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Nana Mori

In Nagasaki in 1964, 15-year-old Kikuo loses his yakuza father and is taken in by a celebrated kabuki actor. Raised alongside the actor’s son, Shunsuke, Kikuo devotes himself to the demanding world of traditional Japanese theatre. Over the years, the two boys grow into fierce friends, rivals, and performers shaped by the same stage, but only one can emerge as kabuki’s greatest master. A major cultural phenomenon in Japan and the country’s highest-grossing live-action film of all time, Sang-il Lee’s sweeping epic is both an intimate character drama and a grand tribute to the performers who sacrifice everything in pursuit of artistic perfection.

Reviews

‘Lee Sang-il’s historical drama about the making of a kabuki legend is nothing short of intoxicating.’
★★★★
Juan Barquin, Little White Lies

‘It’s a wonderful demystification of a mysterious art form.’
★★★★
David Hughes, Time Out

Book tickets

Sunday 24 May

 7.15pmBook tickets
Monday 25 May

 1.45pmBook tickets

What else is on?

Today (Wednesday 13th May)
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20:30

The Stranger 15
2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles
Set in French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life until his mother’s death sparks judgment, conflict, and tragedy. François Ozon’s sensitive, queer-inflected adaptation illuminates the emotional and moral complexities at the heart of Albert Camus’s existential masterpiece.

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Tomorrow (Thursday 14th May)
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12:30

Rebuilding PG
Parent + Baby Screening
1h 36m
After a wildfire destroys his home, divorced father and ranch owner Dusty must plant roots. Now living in a trailer community, he rebuilds his life, reconnecting with his estranged daughter and ex-wife, anchored by Colorado’s landscapes and Josh O’Connor’s performance.

Book here

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15:15

The Stranger 15
2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles
Set in French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life until his mother’s death sparks judgment, conflict, and tragedy. François Ozon’s sensitive, queer-inflected adaptation illuminates the emotional and moral complexities at the heart of Albert Camus’s existential masterpiece.

Book here

Find out more

18:30

The Blue Trail 15
1h 25m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
In a near-future dystopia, government relocates older citizens to remote colonies. Defying the mandate, Tereza pursues her dream of flight, embarking on an illegal Amazon journey. Silver Bear winner Gabriel Mascaro crafts a lyrical tale of resistance, freedom, and self-determination.

Book here

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20:45

Rebuilding PG
1h 36m
After a wildfire destroys his home, divorced father and ranch owner Dusty must plant roots. Now living in a trailer community, he rebuilds his life, reconnecting with his estranged daughter and ex-wife, anchored by Colorado’s landscapes and Josh O’Connor’s performance.

Book here


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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!

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