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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Today (Monday 25th May)

13:45

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17:30

The Magic Faraway Tree U
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20:00

The Stranger 15
2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles
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Tomorrow (Tuesday 26th May)

17:45

Wild Foxes 15
£6 for Members + short film
1h 34m | French w/ English subtitles
At an elite sports academy, young boxer Camille survives a near-fatal accident thanks to teammate Matteo, but mysterious pain threatens his recovery and future. Valéry Carnoy’s Cannes-winning coming-of-age debut explores masculinity and vulnerability within the competitive world of boxing.

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20:00

Us 15
1h 56m
A family’s holiday turns terrifying when mysterious doppelgängers appear at their home. As chaos spreads nationwide, hidden truths emerge about identity, privilege, and repression in Jordan Peele's sharp psychological horror. Screening plus an introduction by Dr Christy Wensley.

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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!