Escapes: The Sloth Lane (U)

Free tickets are now available for our latest Escapes film The Sloth Lane!

After a terrifying storm destroys their home, a speedy sloth and her family move to the big city in their rusted old food truck, hoping to make their business a success. The family’s delicious food catches the eye of a quick witted cheetah who will stop at nothing to revive her failing fast food business, Zoom Fuel.

Tickets to The Sloth Lane are completely free and available now through the link 🔗

Escapes, supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, offers everyone the opportunity to enjoy the big screen experience and discover independent cinema. Whether someone that rarely prioritises a trip to the cinema, someone who treasures a visit but only as a special occasion, or someone who is keen to uncover new experiences, Escapes is on a mission to bring new audiences to the cinema with regular free tickets.

September 5 (15)

September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time.

At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), Geoff unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage. As narratives shift, time ticks away, and conflicting rumours spread, with the hostages’ lives hanging in the balance, Geoff grapples with tough decisions while confronting his own moral compass.

“Journalists take centre stage in Tim Fehlbaum’s tense thriller focusing on 1972’s infamous terrorist massacre through a TV crew lens” ★★★★ Guardian

Nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award

Directed by Tim Fehlbaum
With Peter Saarsgard, John Magaro
1hr 35 mins // GER/US 2024

Oscar Catch-up Screenings: Conclave (12A)

Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

Guardian ★★★★ Times ★★★★ Metro ★★★★

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes) and Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini)

Winner of 1 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

Directed by Edward Berger
With Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini
2hrs // US 2024

Catch-up Screening: Wicked (PG)

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

“A thrillifying film adaptation” ★★★★★ Total Film

“Wicked’s phenomenal film adaptation is miles better than the stage musical” ★★★★★ Metro

★★★★ Guardian ★★★★ Empire ★★★★ Times

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo) and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande)

Directed by Jon M. Chu
With Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
2hrs 30 mins | US 2024

Hard Truths (12A)

Legendary filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the contemporary world with a fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous study of family and the thorny ties that bind us. Reunited with Leigh for the first time since multiple Oscar-nominated Secrets and Lies, the astonishing Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a woman wracked by fear, tormented by afflictions, and prone to raging tirades against her husband, son, and anyone who looks her way. Meanwhile, her easy-going younger sister, played by Michele Austin (Another Year), is a single mother with a life as different from Pansy’s as their clashing temperaments – brimming with communal warmth from her salon clients and daughters alike. This expansive film from a master dramatist takes us into the intensities of kinship, duty, and the most enduring of human mysteries: that even through lifetimes of hurt and hardship, we still find ways to love those we call family.

“One of the best performances of the year” BBC ★★★★★

Guardian ★★★★ Telegraph ★★★★

Directed by Mike Leigh
With Marie Jean-Baptiste
1hr 37 mins // UK 2024

Escapes: Point Break (15)

Free tickets are now available for our latest Escapes film Point Break!

A quintessential big-budget thriller from 1991, with director Kathryn Bigelow utilising the physical prowess of her two leads to tell the story of an FBI agent drawn into a cat-and-mouse game with surfing bank robbers. Racing from one fast-paced and technically dazzling set piece to the next, with action unfolding on the surf, in the sky and through the streets of LA, Kathryn Bigelow simultaneously relishes and deconstructs the tropes of the ‘bromantic’ action spectacular.

Tickets to Point Break are completely free and available now through the link 🔗

Escapes, supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, offers everyone the opportunity to enjoy the big screen experience and discover independent cinema. Whether someone that rarely prioritises a trip to the cinema, someone who treasures a visit but only as a special occasion, or someone who is keen to uncover new experiences, Escapes is on a mission to bring new audiences to the cinema with regular free tickets.

The Brutalist (18)

Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost…

3hrs 35 mins including a 15 minute interval

“An electrifying piece of work” Guardian ★★★★★

★★★★★ Telegraph ★★★★★ Times ★★★★★ Metro ★★★★★ ScreenRant ★★★★★ Time Out

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Adrien Brody) and Best Director (Brady Corbet)

Winner of 3 Academy Awards including Best Actor (Adrien Brody) and Best Cinematography (Lol Crawley)

Directed by Brady Corbet
With Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones | US 2024

Flying High Film Workshop – Conclave (12A)

We would love you to join us for this once a month opportunity for adult members of the community to come together for fun, camaraderie, learning, sharing food and film.

Tuesday 21st January Conclave staring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini.

Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

10.30 – Exploration workshop examining the themes, context, characters, ideas and plot of ‘Conclave’ as well as examining the acting styles and film direction.

12.30 – A light buffet style lunch, teas and coffees

1.30 – Watching Conclave as explored in the workshop

3.30 – End of film

Guardian ★★★★ Times ★★★★ Metro ★★★★

Directed by Edward Berger

Retro Gaming- Sonic Special

Pick up and play a collection of Sonic The Hedgehog games on multiple consoles brought to you by ItsMuchMore, enjoy a blast from the past or jump into a forgotten gem in this special event to celebrate the release of Sonic 3. Come have a game, socialise, chat and have a fun few hours of gaming.

9.30am – 11.45am (Free with any ticket for Tuesday 18 February’s 10.30am Screening  / £3 Morning Ticket without)

12.30pm – 2.45pm (Free with any ticket for Tuesday 18 February’s 1.30pm Screening  / £3 Afternoon Ticket without)

3pm – 4pm (£3 / Free with any ticket to Sonic @ the Bonington)

*If you have tickets for the film, additional tickets must be booked separately for the Gaming Event

Grand Theft Hamlet (15)

January 2021. The UK is in its 3rd lockdown and all entertainment venues remain closed. For theatre actors Sam and Mark, the future looks bleak.

As the pandemic drags on, Mark – single and childless – is increasingly socially isolated, while Sam panics about how he is going to support his young family. They spend their days in the online digital world of Grand Theft Auto and when they stumble across a theatre they suddenly have an idea to stage a full production of Hamlet – within the game.

This film charts their ridiculous, hilarious and moving adventure as they battle violent griefers out to kill them in-game, and discover some surprising truths about life, friendship and the enduring power of Shakespeare.

“A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed; hilarious, surreal and, yes, in its weird way, genuinely exciting” Guardian ★★★★★

Little White Lies ★★★★ Mirror ★★★★ Film Stories ★★★★ Filmhounds ★★★★

Directed by Pinny Grylls & Sam Crane
1hr 29 mins // UK 2024