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

Book tickets

Sunday 5 May

3.00pmBook tickets
Monday 6 May

5.45pmBook tickets

What else is on?

Tomorrow (Thursday 2nd May)

12:30

Ratatouille PG
Parent + Baby Screening
1h 51m
Brad Bird's five-star animated family classic (with a zero-star hygiene rating) following the highs and lows of Linguini, a clumsy aspiring chef, and his highly skilled co-cook Remy...who happens to be a rat.

Book here

16:00

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Residents of a rural village outside Tokyo oppose the development of a nearby luxury "glamping" site in this captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).

Book here

18:30

Late Night with the Devil 15
1h 33m
A late night talk show descends into bloody chaos as an evil force is unleashed on an unsuspecting TV audience. A devilishly constructed and wickedly funny found-footage horror set in 1970s America.

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20:30

Omen 15
1h 30m | French & Swahili w/ English subtitles
Award-winning directorial debut by Belgian rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji following a young Congolese man's fraught return to his hometown. Screenings plus intro by Maona director Tatenda Jamera.

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Friday 3rd May

16:00

The Teachers' Lounge 12A
1h 39m | German w/ English subtitles
When one of her students becomes a suspect in a theft, a teacher resolves to uncover the truth. German director lker Çatak explores the school microcosm as a reflection of our society in this Oscar-nominated drama.

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18:15

The Sweet East 18
1h 44m
Jacob Elordi and Ayo Edebiri star in this hazy road-movie about a teenager on a cross-country trip across America where she encounters pseudo-intellectuals, wannabe artists, and a gang of Neo-Nazis.

Book here

20:45

Monkey Man 18
2h 1m
In an underground boxing club, a young fighter unleashes furious rage on the city’s corrupt elite who destroyed his family. A bone-crunching action revenge thriller directed by Dev Patel (The Green Knight).

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 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!