Monday Night Film Club
Part existential road movie, part apocalyptic sci-fi, Sirât mixes a bit of Zabriskie Point and Mad Max: Fury Road and shakes them up. Some of its images are indelible, in the same way Antonioni’s were in 1970, but French-Spanish director Óliver Laxe’s major weapon here is his sound design, a weaponised barrage of techno with sub-bass that hits like an earthquake and rumbles in the gut. Shared jury prize at 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Cast - Sergi Lopez, Bruno Núñez Arjona, Jade Oukid, Tonin Janvier, Richard Bellamy, Stefania Gadda. In French and Spanish with English subtitles.
Screening as part of French Film Festival 2025.
Have we become a nation of strangers? In Dragonfly, neglected pensioner Elsie (Brenda Blethyn) finds an unexpected ally in her younger neighbour Colleen (Andrea Riseborough). Over time, Elsie gains a friend and the troubled Colleen finds a fresh purpose in life as she shops, cleans and cares for her. It brings brighter days for both of them. Elsie’s son John (Jason Watkins) resents the way that Colleen has selflessly fulfilled the responsibilities that he has shirked. Simmering tensions bring shocking consequences in a gripping human story straight from the heart of broken Britain. A powerful return to the cinema from London to Brighton director Paul Andrew Williams that showcases heartrending, award-winning performances from Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough.
“It’s a stark, fierce, wonderfully acted film” – ★★★★ The Guardian“
Grace, a writer and young mother, is slowly slipping into madness. Locked away in an old house in and around Montana, we see her acting increasingly agitated and erratic, leaving her companion, Jackson, increasingly worried and helpless. Lynne Ramsay’s blistering depiction of a woman engulfed by love and madness, featuring stunning performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson.
Jafar Panahi's award-winning drama follows a group of former Iranian political prisoners who face the question of whether to exact revenge on their tormentor.
“Rip-roaring. A powerful moral thriller." – The New Yorker
"The way Panahi blends suspense with dark humor is a skill we haven’t seen displayed so skillfully since perhaps the best days of Alfred Hitchcock." - The Movie Cricket
It’s like a book group … but with films…
It’s a Film + Discussion + Coffee evening and everyone is welcome to attend. No membership required.
An audience or staff member will give a short introduction, and afterwards you are warmly invited to stay on for an informal post-film discussion over a cuppa. However, there is no obligation to join the discussion; you can leave when the film ends if you would rather.
To join in the online discussion, have your say in choosing the next season of Monday night films and volunteer to introduce a film, please join the Film Forum
Monday night film club runs from September to May. The start time is 7pm unless otherwise stated.
