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 (Wednesday 14th October)

20:00

It Came from Outer Space

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Tomorrow (Thursday 15th October)

11:00

Sense and Sensibility U
Parent + Baby Screening
2h 12m
Mrs Dashwood and her daughters lose their Sussex home to her stepson and move to a Devon cottage, finding love and heartbreak. Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) directs Jane Austen's story, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fiona Shaw and George MacKay.

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14:00

De Gaulle: Liberté 15
2h 39m | French w/ English subtitles
June 1940: France has fallen and signed an armistice with Germany. With no army, no backing and little hope, General de Gaulle gambles everything to convince the world France's fight isn't over. Part two of Antonin Baudry's historical epic.

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17:30

Sense and Sensibility U
2h 12m
Mrs Dashwood and her daughters lose their Sussex home to her stepson and move to a Devon cottage, finding love and heartbreak. Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) directs Jane Austen's story, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fiona Shaw and George MacKay.

Book here

20:30

Remake 15
1h 56m
After his son Adrian dies, filmmaker Ross McElwee revisits his home movie archive and asks whether his camera brought him closer to Adrian or got in the way. A searching, self-questioning look at documenting a life versus understanding it.

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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!