The Piano Teacher18

Directed by Michael Haneke | Austria/France/Germany | 2001 | 2h 11m | French & German w/ English subtitles | Starring Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoît Magimel, Susanne Lothar, Udo Samel

Erika Kohut is a piano teacher at the Vienna Conservatory, living in emotional confinement with her domineering mother. Now in her forties, Erika finds release only in secret visits to adult cinemas and peepshows. But when a student attempts to seduce her, the rigid walls she has built around herself begin to crumble, unleashing a torrent of repressed and dangerous desire. Isabelle Huppert delivers a steely, unforgettable performance in Michael Haneke’s provocative psychological drama. Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, it remains a disturbing and powerful work nearly 25 years after its release.

Reviews

‘The film still holds the same fraught charge it did a quarter of a century ago.’
★★★★★
Danny Leigh, Time Out

‘This is a film, European arthouse to its core, that seemed to look back at Hollywood’s “erotic thriller” boom — Basic Instinct, Body of Evidence, Eyes Wide Shut — and say: “Pah, that’s nothing.”’
★★★★★
Kevin Maher, The Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Piano Teacher between July 19, 2025 and July 21, 2025.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 20th August)

15:45

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1h 31m | German w/ English subtitles
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18:00

Sense and Sensibility U
+ Intro
2h 16m
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20:45

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1h 44m
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Book here


Thursday 21st August

12:30

Friendship 15
Parent + Baby Screening
1h 41m
What begins as a quirky bromance spirals into a hilariously dark tale of obsession and unraveling sanity. Comedian Tim Robinson shines in this off-kilter comedy about loneliness and the awkward terror of modern male connection.

Book here

16:15

The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire PG
1h 15m
Poet and activist Suzanne Césaire shaped Caribbean intellectual history, yet history nearly forgot her. Through archival textures and poetic fragments, this lyrical documentary reclaims her voice, painting an intimate portrait of the mystery of legacy.

Book here

18:15

Bring Her Back 18
1h 44m
After a death in the family, two siblings uncover a chilling secret about their mysterious new sister. From the creators of Talk To Me, this twisted psychological horror starring Sally Hawkins spirals into dark, unforgettable territory.

Book here

20:45

Late Shift 12A
1h 31m | German w/ English subtitles
A single night in an overwhelmed Swiss hospital pushes nurse Floria to her limits. As pressures mount, mistakes blur duty and doubt. Gritty, real, and emotionally taut, this powerful drama showcases a tour-de-force performance from Leonie Benesch.

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!