The Universal Theory15

Directed by Timm Kröger | Germany | 2023 | 1h 58m | German w/ English subtitles | Starring Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuss, Ladina von Frisching

Set against the majestic backdrop of the towering Swiss Alps, a brilliant young physicist encounters an enigmatic pianist who inexplicably knows his most closely guarded secrets. What begins as curiosity quickly ensnares him in a web of metaphysical intrigue, murder, and mystery. Shot in stunning black-and-white, Timm Kröger’s award-winning thriller blends Cold War paranoia with mind-bending science fiction.

Reviews

‘A visually dazzling Alpine sci-fi noir…catch it while it is on the big screen, where its widescreen brilliance truly flourishes’
★★★★★
Jonathan Romney, The FT

‘This wonderfully slippery Hitchcockian sci-fi is an elegant puzzle box full of ingenious ideas.’
★★★★
Philip De Semlyen, Time Out

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Universal Theory between January 3, 2025 and January 7, 2025.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Today (Saturday 14th March)
Find out more

14:30

Iron Ladies 12A
1h 38m
Special Events
Inspiring documentary chronicling British women during the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike and how their courage and resilience transformed family life, labour politics, and working-class women’s roles. Screening presented by the Oxford International Women’s Festival.

Book here

Find out more

17:15

“Wuthering Heights” 15
2h 16m
In 18th-century Yorkshire, brooding outsider Heathcliff falls for Catherine, the daughter of his master, igniting a destructive love story of obsession. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) sensual adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Book here

Find out more

20:15

The Secret Agent 15
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

Book here


Tomorrow (Sunday 15th March)
Find out more

14:30

Cléo from 5 to 7 PG
1h 31m | French w/ English subtitles
Classic Season: The New Wave
While awaiting life-changing medical results, a pop singer wanders Paris, encountering strangers and herself anew. Agnès Varda’s intimate New Wave classic captures fleeting moments, female subjectivity, and 1960s Paris, lifted by Michel Legrand’s unforgettable music.

Book here

Find out more

16:45

The Secret Agent 15
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

Book here

Find out more

20:15

“Wuthering Heights” 15
2h 16m
In 18th-century Yorkshire, brooding outsider Heathcliff falls for Catherine, the daughter of his master, igniting a destructive love story of obsession. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) sensual adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Book here


See all upcoming films

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!

Find out more