The Cook, The Thief, His Wife 
& Her Lover18

Directed by Peter Greenaway | UK | 1989 | 2h 4m | Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Richard Bohringer, Alan Howard, Tim Roth, Ciarán Hinds

A ruthless mobster purchases a gourmet restaurant in London, regularly dining there with his long-suffering wife. However, when the cook, a thief, the mobster’s wife, and her secret lover all come together, a shocking torrent of sex, food, murder, and revenge is unleashed. Set to Michael Nyman’s score and featuring Jean Paul Gaultier’s costumes, Peter Greenaway’s notorious and stylish crime drama presents a disturbing feast reflecting Britain’s social, moral, and political decay.

Reviews

‘Greenaway’s stunning “designer dream” is sick, sexy and rude in about equal provocative proportions and totally unforgettable.’
★★★★
Alan Jones, Radio Times

‘Many people will be profoundly offended by this film… but some may appreciate it for what it certainly is: the most startling depiction of intellectual cruelty and evil for many years.’
★★★★
John Mount, Empire Magazine

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Cook, The Thief, His Wife 
& Her Lover between May 5, 2024 and May 6, 2024.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 16th April)

12:30

The Good Boy 15
Parent + Baby screening
1h 50m
Tommy, a reckless nineteen-year-old, is abducted after a night of drugs and partying and wakes imprisoned in a remote Yorkshire basement. Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough star in this fresh, unsettlingly twisted thriller.

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15:00

The Love That Remains 15
1h 49m | Icelandic w/ English subtitles
Anna and Magnús raise three children in rural Iceland, but cracks in their marriage begin to appear. Acclaimed director Hlynur Pálmason (Godland) crafts a warm and quietly humorous portrait of family life unfolding across seasons of the vast Icelandic landscape.

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17:30

La Grazia 12A
2h 13m | Italian w/ English subtitles
As the end of his presidency approaches, Italian leader Mariano De Santis faces difficult political and personal choices. Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) directs a sweeping drama about power and freedom, featuring Toni Servillo in an award-winning performance.

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20:30

The Last Rider

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Tomorrow (Friday 17th April)

15:15

Two Prosecutors 12A
1h 58m | Russian & Ukrainian w/ English subtitles
Soviet Union, 1937. Amidst rampant injustice, a prisoner’s letter reaches prosecutor Alexander Kornyev, igniting a pursuit of truth in a totalitarian system. Sergei Loznitsa’s gripping historical drama, based on Georgy Demidov’s novel, starkly explores stifling Soviet bureaucracy and state oppression.

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18:00

The Magic Faraway Tree U
1h 50m
The Thompson children discover a magical tree leading to fantastical lands. Facing quirky inhabitants and wondrous adventures, they reconnect and grow closer. Enid Blyton’s beloved classic comes to life in this enchanting adaptation starring Andrew Garfield, Nicola Coughlan, and Claire Foy.

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20:30

Dead Man's Wire 15
1h 46m
In 1977, businessman Tony Kiritsis takes a mortgage broker hostage with a deadly “dead man’s switch,” demanding millions and an apology. Gus Van Sant’s tense, darkly comic thriller brings this bizarre true story to life with Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, and Colman Domingo.

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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!