The Chronology Of Water18

Directed by Kristen Stewart | USA | 2025 | 2h 8m | Starring Imogen Poots, Thora Birch, Jim Belushi, Tom Sturridge, Kim Gordon

In the 1980s, a young woman escapes an abusive home through competitive swimming. When her athletic dreams are cut short, she is forced to confront love, loss, and her own self-destructive tendencies. Through the transformative power of writing, she begins to reclaim her voice and sense of self. Oscar-nominated actor Kristen Stewart makes her feature directorial debut with this raw and intimate portrait of womanhood, survival, and artistic awakening, adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s bestselling autobiographical memoir.

Reviews

‘Kristen Stewart reveals a deft directorial hand and a distinct, languid, echoing style in her vividly made, emotionally visceral exploration of the life and times of American novelist Lidia Yuknavitch.’
★★★★
Christian Newland, Time Out

‘Stewart’s greatest asset in all of this is the 35-year-old Poots herself, whose performance here is career-best work: utterly fearless and ferociously real.’
★★★★
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Chronology Of Water between January 31, 2026 and March 5, 2026.

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

What else is on?

Today (Monday 13th July)

18:00

What We Do in the Shadows 15
1h 25m
Cult mockumentary follows the undead navigating modern life with gloriously incompetent results. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement at their most gloriously funny. Part of the Oxford Comedy Festival 2026.

Book here

20:15

Blue Heron 15
1h 31m
Eight-year-old Sasha's family move to Vancouver Island seeking a fresh start, but her eldest brother increasingly dangerous behaviour casts a long shadow. Sophy Romvari's lyrical feature debut is a deeply felt study of family bonds and the elusive nature of memory.

Book here


Tomorrow (Tuesday 14th July)

17:45

Effi o Blaenau 15
£6 for Members
1h 31m | Welsh w/ English subtitles
In a Welsh town stripped of its pubs and jobs, hard-partying Effi keeps her head just above water. But a chance encounter in a Llandudno nightclub offers a glimpse of another life. Leisa Gwenllian is searing in this spikily funny adaptation of Gary Owen's celebrated one-woman play.

Book here

20:00

Disclosure Day 12A
£6 for Members
2h 25m
When a Kansas City meteorologist intercepts an inexplicable alien signal during a live broadcast, she begins to unravel a decades-long government cover-up. Steven Spielberg returns to sci-fi with a summer blockbuster of genuine scale and philosophical weight, led by Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor.

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!