The 400 BlowsPG

Directed by Francois Truffaut | France | 1959 | 1h 40m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier

A timeless coming-of-age story following a few months in the life of a 12-year-old boy who, misunderstood and mistreated by his parents and teachers, seeks refuge in truancy, petty crime, and the cinema. The most autobiographical of Truffaut’s films which helped launch the French New Wave is universally regarded as one of the all-time great directorial debuts.

Classic Season: Directorial Debuts

Reviews

‘It’s a cornerstone of the French New Wave, and one of the greatest movies about childhood, from anywhere, ever.’
★★★★★
Anthony Quinn, The Independent

‘A landmark in modern cinema.’
★★★★★
Jason Korsner, BBC

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The 400 Blows between January 16, 2022 and January 18, 2022.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Tomorrow (Sunday 31st May)
Find out more

12:30

The Lego Movie U
Kino Kids Cinema Club
1h 40m
Kino Kids Cinema Club
Ordinary LEGO figure Emmet is mistaken for a prophesied hero. Reluctantly joining quirky allies, he embarks on a mission to stop an evil tyrant, discovering courage, creativity, and humour along the way in this colourful, action-packed animated adventure.

Book here

Find out more

15:00

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders 15
+ Introduction
1h 17m + 18m short film | Czech w/ English subtitles
Director's Cuts: Lucile Hadžihalilović
In a surreal coming-of-age journey, a girl navigates a dreamlike world of vampires, shifting identities, and religious imagery. A key Czech New Wave classic, it is celebrated for its baroque visual style and influential fusion of horror, folklore, and psychoanalysis.

Book here

Find out more

17:15

Romería 15
1h 52m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Aspiring filmmaker Marina travels to Galicia to uncover her family’s past, following her late mother’s diary. As buried truths emerge, she confronts grief, identity and belonging in Carla Simón’s (Summer 1993, Alcarràs) warm, autobiographical drama about memory and emotional inheritance.

Book here

Find out more

20:00

Hokum 15
1h 47m
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is unsettled by rumours of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Damian McCarthy’s atmospheric psychological horror blends folklore, grief and eerie supernatural mystery.

Book here


Monday 1st June
Find out more

17:45

Hokum 15
1h 47m
When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is unsettled by rumours of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Damian McCarthy’s atmospheric psychological horror blends folklore, grief and eerie supernatural mystery.

Book here

Find out more

20:15

Romería 15
1h 52m | Spanish w/ English subtitles
Aspiring filmmaker Marina travels to Galicia to uncover her family’s past, following her late mother’s diary. As buried truths emerge, she confronts grief, identity and belonging in Carla Simón’s (Summer 1993, Alcarràs) warm, autobiographical drama about memory and emotional inheritance.

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!

Find out more