The Conversation12A

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola | USA | 1974 | 1h 54m | Starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Frederic Forrest, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford

A surveillance expert is hired by a mysterious client to follow a young couple and record their conversations. As he pieces together their cryptic exchanges from various tape reels, he becomes obsessed with determining whether their lives are in danger. Produced between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal neo-noir thriller explores the uneasy line between technology and privacy—a topic that is more relevant than ever today. Winner of the 1974 Palme d’Or, the film has been restored in 4K to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Classic Season: 1974 Classic Season: Surveillance

Reviews

‘Set against a claustrophobic backdrop of post-Watergate paranoia, Coppola’s favourite of his films hinges on the intonation of a single word.’
★★★★★
Ed Potton, The Times

‘The Conversation is an intricate and unsettlingly subtle character study, with a very strong performance from Hackman.’
★★★★★
Nick Hilditch, BBC

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Conversation between July 27, 2024 and July 31, 2024.

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

What else is on?

Today (Saturday 12th October)
Find out more

15:15

Megalopolis 15
2h 18m
A visionary artist seeking to guide humanity toward a utopian future faces opposition from regressive, greedy politicians. 40 years in the making, Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited philosophical sci-fi epic finally arrives on the big screen.

Book here

Find out more

18:15

After Hours 15
1h 37m
Kafkaesque Klassics
Legendary American director Martin Scorsese's frantic screwball comedy following an uptight office worker's late-night odyssey on the streets of New York as he tries to get home with no money.

Book here

Find out more

21:00

The Substance 18
2h 21m
In a bid to revive her career, a former TV star takes a black-market drug that transforms her into a younger version of herself. Demi Moore gives a career-best performance in this award-winning body horror critiquing toxic industry beauty standards.

Book here


Tomorrow (Sunday 13th October)
Find out more

14:00

Lee 15
1h 57m
Elizabeth “Lee” Miller, a former model turned renowned photographer, captured some of the most iconic and haunting images of the Second World War. In this captivating biopic, Oscar-winner Kate Winslet brings Miller’s extraordinary story to life.

Book here

Find out more

16:45

The Goldman Case 12A
1h 56m | French w/ English subtitles
An electrifying dramatisation of the trial of left-wing activist Pierre Goldman, who was accused of armed robbery and murder in 1970s France. Winner of Best Actor (Arieh Worthalter) at the 2024 César Awards.

Book here

Find out more

19:30

Megalopolis 15
2h 18m
A visionary artist seeking to guide humanity toward a utopian future faces opposition from regressive, greedy politicians. 40 years in the making, Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited philosophical sci-fi epic finally arrives on the big screen.

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 don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

Find out more