The Nickel | Independent Cinema in Clerkenwell, London

Please note we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges on tickets. No late admissions from 15 minutes after showtime.

WOMEN IN REVOLT

(1971, USA, Paul Morrissey)

A group of radical feminists in New York City bands together to fight for women’s liberation, overthrowing oppressive male authority and experimenting with increasingly extreme methods of rebellion. Their actions mix political activism with outrageous antics, turning their movement into both a social statement and a chaotic spectacle.

Paul Morrissey and Andy Warhol blend camp, satire, and sharp social commentary to create a subversive and flamboyant look at gender politics in the 1970s. The film’s bold performances and irreverent humour turn its critique of society into a stylish, provocative, and often absurd cinematic experience.

Introduced by filmmaker and programmer, Craig Williams AKA Cosmik Debris.

TENEBRAE

(1982, Italy, Dario Argento)

A series of brutal murders terrorizes a small Italian town, leaving the police baffled and the community in fear. A young woman becomes the focal point of the investigation as strange occurrences and mysterious figures point toward a supernatural presence, suggesting that the killings may be linked to dark, hidden forces rather than ordinary criminals.

Dario Argento delivers a masterful giallo that combines intricate murder mysteries with visually stunning set pieces and suspenseful camerawork. The film’s stylish violence, eerie soundtrack, and tense pacing create a hypnotic, unsettling atmosphere that has cemented it as a cornerstone of Italian horror cinema.

L'ANTICRISTO

(1974, Italy, Germany, Alberto De Martino)

A young woman and her husband retreat to a remote countryside home to recover from a family tragedy, but their isolation soon turns nightmarish. The woman begins experiencing terrifying hallucinations, unexplained phenomena, and escalating physical and psychological torment, suggesting that sinister, supernatural forces are at work.

Alberto De Martino delivers a provocative and visually intense horror film, blending psychological dread with shocking imagery. Its mix of supernatural horror, extreme tension, and surreal sequences makes it a striking example of 1970s European shock cinema.

SÉRIE NOIRE

(1979, France, Alain Corneau)

In the shadowy outskirts of Paris, a desperate door-to-door salesman crosses paths with a mysterious young woman trapped in a grim world. As his obsession deepens, his grip on reality begins to slip—and the line between escape and destruction starts to blur.

Série noire adapts Jim Thompson’s A Hell of A Woman to the banlieues of Paris: in an astonishing performance, Patrick Dewaere (Themroc) attempts to save a young girl from prostitution, with murder the only solution.

Guest programmer Eva Yelmani will introduce this screening.

THAT MOST IMPORTANT THING: LOVE

(1975, France, Andrzej Żuławski)

Servais Mont, a freelance photographer who works taking compromising photos, gets fascinated by Nadine Chevalier, a tormented low-budget movie actress married to an eccentric film photo collector.

Andrzej Żuławski offers a De Palma-esque reminder of the inherent exploitation of making (and viewing) images, as well as the thin line that separates "legitimate" cinema from its pornographic underbelly.

Guest programmer Eva Yelmani will introduce this screening.

VAMPYROS LESBOS

(1971, West Germany/Spain, Jesús Franco)

In the sun-drenched interzones between Istanbul and the Spanish coast, a young woman becomes entangled with a hypnotic vampire whose erotic pull dissolves the boundaries between dream, desire, and death. Vampyros Lesbos abandons conventional horror mechanics in favour of atmosphere and repetition, drifting through nocturnal clubs, modernist interiors, and bloodless acts of seduction that feel more ritualistic than violent. Franco treats vampirism less as a curse than as a state of erotic dislocation—an endless present where pleasure overrides causality and identity slips out of focus.

Anchored by Soledad Miranda’s uncanny screen presence and propelled by a hallucinatory jazz-funk score, the film occupies a singular space between exploitation cinema and avant-garde mood piece. Its languid pacing and fetishistic surfaces mask a deeper emptiness at the core, where liberation and annihilation become indistinguishable, and desire circulates without resolution.

DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING

(1972, Italy, Lucio Fulci)

A series of child murders shakes a small rural Italian village, and suspicion falls on various townspeople as secrets, superstitions, and moral hypocrisy come to light. A determined journalist and local authorities struggle to uncover the killer while confronting the tension between traditional beliefs and modern justice.

This giallo blends suspenseful, gruesome thrills with a sharp critique of small-town paranoia and social hypocrisy. The film’s careful build-up of tension, combined with unsettling imagery, creates a morally complex and hauntingly atmospheric story.

MYSTERY MOVIE

Not for the easily offended, and strictly programmed for adult audiences only - our mystery films are eye-popping forays into the bold and bonkers world of psychotronic cinema. Expect the unacceptable.

Please consider yourself forewarned that these films may (and probably will) contain offensive and upsetting content. Do not attend if you are of a sensitive disposition.

HARD BOILED

(1992, Hong Kong, John Woo)

Finally restored after being out of circulation for decades! Hard-drinking Hong Kong inspector known as “Tequila” pursues a gun-running syndicate whose operations run from teahouses and warehouses to the fluorescent corridors of a private hospital. His investigation converges with an undercover officer embedded deep within the criminal network, the two men forced into a fragile alliance as their professional roles and moral boundaries blur. What begins as a familiar cops-and-triads pursuit escalates into sustained, close-quarters combat, with public and supposedly secure spaces transformed into zones of continuous crisis. The film’s momentum lies not in plot revelation but in accumulation — of bodies, shattered interiors, and decisions made under extreme pressure.

Produced at the peak of Hong Kong’s pre-handover action cycle, Hard Boiled channels an industry working at full technical capacity, where elaborate stunt work and practical effects underpin its sense of physical immediacy. The film reframes the heroic codes and male bonding of earlier crime melodramas within modern institutional settings, suggesting a city where systems of order — medical, legal, civic — are already indistinguishable from the violence they contain. Both police thriller and endurance spectacle, it stands as a defining artifact of a moment when local genre cinema translated urban anxiety and industrial virtuosity into a relentless choreography of destruction.

LA PRISONNIÉRE

(1968, France, Henri-Georges Clouzot)

Set within the sleek, decadent world of Parisian galleries and underground fetish clubs, a young woman becomes entangled with a manipulative photographer whose erotic power games blur the line between performance and imprisonment. What begins as fascination curdles into psychological captivity as she finds herself both subject and spectator in a labyrinth of desire.

A cool, hypnotic study of control and obsession, La Prisonnière stands as the final film of Henri-Georges Clouzot. Awash in pop art colors and disorienting compositions, it transforms erotic fixation into a sleek chamber of mirrors, where liberation and confinement become indistinguishable and every gaze conceals a trap.

XXX RATED MYSTERY MOVIE

Not for the easily offended, and strictly programmed for adult audiences only - our mystery films are eye-popping forays into the bold and bonkers world of psychotronic cinema. Expect the unacceptable.

This screening will feature adult-themed content, including sexually explicit and risqué material. Please consider yourself forewarned that these films may (and probably will) contain offensive and upsetting content. Do not attend if you are of a sensitive disposition.

MYSTERY DOJO: SURPRISE KUNG FU MATINEES

Enter the 36 Chambers of Grindhouse Cinema, with these Sunday mystery martial-arts matinees that harken back to the glory days of 42nd Street.

Expect deep-cut chopsocky plucked from the 70s and 80s screening on both digital and VHS - with bone-crushing bashers from the genre that mixed Chinese folklore and fantasy, spaghetti westerns, melodrama, Japanese samurai films and American genre cinema into an electrifying combo that inspired both the future of action films - and hip hop.

These Kung Fu flicks became an international sensation in the 1970s, particularly at the Grindhouse cinemas that proliferated in impoverished inner-cities. Here were movies in which working-class heroes stood up to oppression, speaking loud and clear to the marginalised underclasses around the world.

Bring the ruckus!

THE THIRD MAN

(1949, United Kingdom, Carol Reed)

A man arrives in post‑war Vienna to meet an old friend, only to find that he has recently died under mysterious circumstances. As he investigates, he becomes entangled in a web of black-market dealings, deceit, and shifting alliances, uncovering secrets that challenge everything he thought he knew about his friend and the city itself.

A masterclass in noir tension and atmospheric storytelling, the film combines shadowy cinematography, unforgettable performances, and a haunting score to create an enduring tale of suspense, betrayal, and moral ambiguity.

RESERVOIR DOGS

(1992, USA, Quentin Tarantino)

A group of criminals is brought together for a heist, but when the job goes horribly wrong, suspicion, paranoia, and betrayal tear the team apart. As they hide out in a warehouse, tensions flare and alliances fracture, forcing each man to confront secrets, lies, and the consequences of their actions.

Quentin Tarantino’s breakout crime thriller is a masterful blend of sharp dialogue, intense character work, and nonlinear storytelling. The film’s mix of suspense, dark humor, and explosive violence has made it a landmark of modern independent cinema and a cult favorite among crime film fans.

PORNOSTAR

(1998, Japan, Toshiaki Toyoda)

A young man named Arano arrives in Tokyo with a bag full of knives and little else, wandering the streets with a brooding, unreadable intensity. His hostility toward the yakuza erupts into sudden violence, and after killing his first targets he becomes entangled with a small‑time gangster and his inept underlings. What begins as aimless rage draws him deeper into gang conflicts, unpredictable alliances, and escalating chaos amid the city’s underworld.

This raw crime drama from Toshiaki Toyoda mixes gritty street violence with a punk‑infused energy and disquieting character study. The film’s visceral pacing and stark urban backdrop reflect a restless, unmoored spirit, making it a compelling and visceral piece of late‑90s Japanese cinema.

Introduced by journalist and writer, James Balmont

HIS MOTORBIKE, HER ISLAND

(1986, Japan, Nobuhiko Obayashi)

After a tough breakup, Koh, a laid‑back motorbike enthusiast, heads out on his Kawasaki across the Japanese countryside and unexpectedly meets Miyo, a free‑spirited local who shares his passion for bikes. Their connection grows as he teaches her to ride and they explore both open roads and their own desires for freedom and adventure. Over time their bond deepens, even as their different outlooks on life and riding reflect the personal journeys each must navigate.

This tender, evocative drama blends romance with the restless energy of youth, capturing the thrill of the open road and the fragility of fleeting connections. With its mix of colour and black‑and‑white cinematography and a nostalgic, reflective tone, the film lingers in the mind long after the final ride.

SPIDER BABY

(1967, USA, Jack Hill)

A decrepit mansion houses the Merrye family, whose surviving children suffer from a bizarre, degenerative disease that makes them increasingly violent, cunning, and feral. As outsiders arrive, the family’s twisted games and macabre antics escalate, revealing their darkly comic, horrifying nature and the strange, grotesque world they inhabit.

Spider Baby blends black comedy, gothic horror, and campy thrills into a deliriously twisted fable. With its eccentric characters, claustrophobic setting, and outrageous yet eerie atmosphere, the film has become a cult classic of macabre American cinema.

PHANTASM

(1979, USA, Don Coscarelli)

After the death of his parents, young Mike discovers that his small town cemetery is plagued by strange occurrences, including a mysterious mortician known as the Tall Man. As he investigates, Mike encounters flying silver spheres, reanimated corpses, and a nightmarish underworld that defies the laws of reality.

Phantasm is a surreal and terrifying horror classic, blending dreamlike visuals, relentless suspense, and inventive supernatural elements. Its eerie atmosphere, iconic villain, and imaginative scares have cemented it as a landmark of 1970s American horror.

WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE

(1995, USA, Todd Solondz)

Heather, a shy and awkward seventh-grader, navigates the trials of middle school life while dealing with neglectful parents and a socially aggressive sister. Her days are filled with humiliation, isolation, and small rebellions, as she struggles to assert herself in a world that seems determined to push her down.

Todd Solondz delivers a darkly comic and painfully honest coming-of-age story, mixing cringe-inducing humour with moments of genuine empathy. The film’s sharp observations of adolescence and suburban dysfunction have made it an enduring cult classic.

PALINDROMES

(2004, USA, Todd Solondz)

A young woman named Aviva returns home after a suicide attempt and struggles to reconnect with her family and the world around her. As she attempts to piece her life back together, she grapples with identity, belonging, and the chaotic tangle of her own emotions, friendships, and relationships.

Todd Solondz’s unconventional narrative loops and fragments mirror Aviva’s disturbed inner world, blending dark humour with raw emotional insight. The film confronts themes of forgiveness, alienation, and self‑destruction in a way that is unsettling, compassionate, and uniquely Solondz.

DEADBEAT AT DAWN

(1988, USA, Jim Van Bebber)

A small‑time criminal and his girlfriend try to escape the violent grip of a rival gang after a heist goes wrong. As tensions mount, the streets become a battleground of revenge, loyalty, and survival, leading to bloody confrontations that test both courage and morality.

Jim Van Bebber’s Deadbeat at Dawn is a raw, kinetic exploitation thriller, drenched in punk energy, fast-paced violence, and gritty urban chaos. Its relentless pace and unapologetic brutality make it a cult favorite for fans of underground action cinema.

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS

(1971, Belgium, France, Germany, Harry Kümel)

A mysterious and alluring couple, Elisabeth and Countess Bathory, arrive at a Belgian hotel, where they befriend a young newlywed and his wife. Seduction, obsession, and supernatural undertones soon emerge, drawing the guests into a web of eroticism, manipulation, and dark secrets that threatens to consume them entirely.

Daughters of Darkness blends gothic horror with lush, sensuous visuals and slow-building tension. Its eroticized atmosphere, psychological intrigue, and nightmarish elegance have cemented it as a standout in European horror cinema.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

(1974, USA, Joseph Sargent)

A routine subway ride in New York City turns into a high-stakes hostage crisis when a group of armed hijackers seizes a train full of passengers. With time running out and the city watching, a transit dispatcher becomes the unlikely point of negotiation, racing against both the criminals and the clock to prevent disaster. Every decision carries the weight of lives, and every second brings the tension closer to a breaking point.

A taut, urban thriller, The Taking of Pelham 123 combines meticulous plotting with relentless suspense. Director Joseph Sargent transforms the city’s underground into a claustrophobic arena of danger and strategy. Smart, fast-paced, and nerve-jangling, the film is a masterclass in tension, showing how ordinary people confront extraordinary peril with courage, cunning, and resolve.

NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER

(1980, USA, Robert Butler)

A tough, New York City ex-cop relentlessly searches for his kidnapped teenage daughter, held by a deranged drifter who’s mistaken her for the child of a wealthy businessman. As the chase rages through the city’s derelict streets and subways, both men are pushed to the brink.

Restored at long last, this notorious cult thriller has been nearly impossible to see on any format except VHS for over four decades and is a furious, grimy portrait of Manhattan at its wildest.

THE LAST HORROR FILM

(1982, USA/France, David Winters)

A delusional New York taxi driver and wannabe filmmaker (Joe Spinell) stalks beautiful actress (Caroline Munro) who is attending the Cannes Film Festival - which coincides with a series of savage killings of the her movie industry friends.

Shooting on the fly and without permits at the Cannes Film Festival in ‘81, the movie is an incredible time capsule of the festival with glimpses of Isabelle Adjani, Kris Kristofferson and Marcello Mastroianni, among other international stars. It also happens to be a blood-drenched meta-horror hoot, drawing influence from Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy and steam powered by Spinell's frantic central performance.

MYSTERY MOVIE

AMERICAN MOVIE + COVEN

(1997, USA, Chris Smith, Mark Borchardt)

Mark Borchardt, an aspiring filmmaker from Milwaukee, struggles to complete his low-budget horror film Coven amid financial hardship, family pressure, and his own obsessive perfectionism. The documentary follows his chaotic efforts to fund, cast, and shoot the project, revealing both the absurdity and earnestness of independent filmmaking.

This acclaimed documentary is a hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes painful look at obsession, ambition, and the dream of making it big against all odds. Its humor and humanity make it a must-watch for anyone fascinated by the trials of creative pursuit.

SCREENING WITH COVEN

Within Mark Borchardt’s film-within-the-film Coven, a group of witches gather for a dark ritual that unleashes supernatural terror. The story is a low-budget horror tale filled with campy effects, eccentric performances, and tense, nightmarish sequences that showcase Borchardt’s passion for genre filmmaking.

The short horror film at the heart of American Movie demonstrates the chaotic charm and determination behind independent filmmaking, blending spooky atmospherics with the earnest energy of a homemade horror epic.

IN THE COLD OF THE NIGHT

(1990, USA, Nico Mastorakis)

A high‑profile fashion photographer named Scott Bruin is plagued by a series of increasingly disturbing nightmares in which he appears to attack and kill a mysterious woman. When that woman begins to step out of his dreams and into his waking life, Scott must confront whether his visions are merely fantasies or harbingers of something more sinister and real.

This 1990 erotic thriller blends psychological mystery with late‑night cable ambience and surreal dream logic. Its mix of neon‑soaked visuals, uneasy tension, and uncanny mood make it a standout example of early‑90s genre cinema that sits somewhere between noir, nightmare, and sleazy intrigue.

MYSTERY MOVIE

UNFAITHFULLY YOURS

(1948, USA, Preston Sturges)

A world-renowned conductor’s imagination runs wild after suspecting his wife of infidelity, leading him to fantasize about revenge in increasingly elaborate and comically dark scenarios. As his mind spirals through plots of passion, jealousy, and murder, reality collides with his vivid imaginings in unexpected and humorous ways.

Unfaithfully Yours is a brilliantly crafted screwball comedy that mixes Hitchcockian suspense with Howard Hawks’ signature wit and timing. Its inventive structure, playful tension, and Cary Grant’s charismatic performance make it a sophisticated and enduring classic of 1940s cinema.

ROLLING THUNDER

(1977, USA, John Flynn)

A decorated Vietnam War veteran returns home to Texas, only to find his family caught in a violent robbery that leaves them traumatized. Driven by grief and a sense of moral duty, he embarks on a relentless quest for revenge, confronting both criminals and the darker realities of a society that seems indifferent to justice.

Rolling Thunder is a taut, gritty revenge thriller that captures the anger, alienation, and disillusionment of post‑Vietnam America. Its tense action sequences, brooding atmosphere, and emotionally charged performances make it a powerful exploration of trauma and retribution.

SALT ALONG THE TONGUE + Q&A

(2024, Australia, Parish Malfitano)

After her mother’s sudden death, Mattia is sent to live with her estranged aunt, her mother’s identical twin. As she struggles with grief in this new environment, a buried family secret begins to surface, and her mother’s presence lingers in unsettling ways. Through food and ritual, the boundary between the living and the dead begins to dissolve, drawing Mattia into something both protective and dangerous.

Blending possession, witchcraft, and coming-of-age drama, the film moves between tenderness and body horror, using food, memory, and the body itself as conduits for something uncanny. Its vivid, sensory style and all-female world give it a distinct, almost dreamlike intensity that sits somewhere between family melodrama and supernatural fever dream.

Plus Q&A with the director, Parish Malfitano

MY NAME IS MONDAY: A NIGHT OF SOVIET FILM, MUSIC & ANIMATION

Меня зовут понедельник
A night of Soviet film, music and animation.

“All evidence suggests that the history of mankind has ended. It is time to sum up the outcome, and I think it should be done calmly, without vulgar affectation"

My name is Monday and I am the spy who came in from the cold.
I am useless bureaucracy, flammable fashion and a ruse for criminal justice.
I welcome myself without knocking.
You will find me on the cutting room floor of animation laboratories, the kolkhoz, cults and behind the door of your office. I am in battleships, bunkers, and places in space.
I am Soviet and Cold War film from 1917 to 1991,
My name is Monday and expect me at 8.
Ku.

BETTER THAN NOTHING PRESENTS: THE REFLECTING SKIN

(1990, United Kingdom, Canada, Philip Ridley)

A young boy living in the rural American countryside becomes fascinated by a mysterious woman who lives alone in a nearby house. As his curiosity deepens, he begins to interpret strange events around him as signs of something supernatural and increasingly sinister, blurring the line between imagination, desire, and fear. His world slowly darkens as he becomes convinced that death itself may be watching over his community.

The Reflecting Skin is a haunting coming-of-age tale that mixes rural Americana with gothic horror and dreamlike imagery. Its sun-drenched landscapes contrast sharply with its themes of decay, violence, and childhood perception, creating a surreal and deeply unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after it ends.

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: HEAT

(1972, USA, Paul Morrissey)

A former child star, now reduced to living in a cheap Hollywood motel, drifts through Los Angeles trying to revive his acting career. He becomes entangled with a needy, washed-up actress and her volatile daughter, entering a world of transactional relationships, sexual manipulation, and fading dreams.

A bleak, often very funny portrait of Hollywood at its most desperate, the film strips away glamour in favour of something colder and more transactional. It plays like a warped echo of classic studio-era melodrama, where ambition, desire, and emptiness all blur together in a distinctly Warhol-era haze.

Introduced by filmmaker and programmer, Craig Williams

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: TRASH

(1970, USA, Paul Morrissey)

The movie follows Joe, a heroin addict, throughout his quest to score more drugs. The episodic plot occurs over a single day and centers on Joe’s problematic relationship with his on-off, sexually frustrated girlfriend. During the course of the day, Joe overdoses in front of an upper-class couple, attempts to fool welfare into approving his treatment by having Holly fake a pregnancy, and frustrates the women in his life with his drug-induced impotence.

Set in the Warhol Factory’s orbit, the film drifts between bleak realism and absurd, often very funny encounters, building a loose, improvisational portrait of addiction, codependency, and life on the margins of New York. Its raw performances and confrontational mix of sex, humour, and despair give it a strange, lived-in intensity that feels both chaotic and oddly intimate.

Introduced by filmmaker and programmer, Craig Williams.

VORTEX

(1982, USA, Beth B, Scott B)

PART OF OUR PUNK! AT 50 SEASON

A film noirish atmosphere follows a private detective as she investigates the plans of a powerful corporate businessman seeking government defense contracts through manipulation, political influence, and covert “corporate wars.” As she digs deeper, the case spirals into a web of paranoia, conspiracy, and shadowy power structures.

A key work of New York’s No Wave scene and starring Lydia Lunch, the film filters classic noir through a stripped-down, punk sensibility, full of murky visuals, jagged performances, and downtown energy. More concerned with mood and texture than clean storytelling, it plays like a lo-fi transmission from a decaying, conspiratorial city.

SALVATION!

(1987, USA, Beth B)

PART OF OUR PUNK AT 50! SEASON

A biting black comedy set in the world of televangelism in late‑1980s America, Salvation! follows Reverend Edward Randall, a slick TV preacher whose polished sermons mask a private life filled with hypocrisy and self‑interest. After accidentally seducing a stranger during a storm, he becomes entangled with her stridently religious sister Rhonda and her unemployed husband Jerome, setting off a sequence of opportunistic schemes and shifting alliances. What starts as an attempted blackmail quickly spirals into an uneasy partnership that forces each character to confront their own motives and desires.

Starring Stephen McHattie as the charismatic but compromised preacher, with Exene Cervenka as Rhonda and Viggo Mortensen as Jerome, the film satirizes the spectacle of televised faith and the entanglements of sex, money, and morality. Through off‑kilter humor and surreal, punk‑inflected energy, it skewers the self‑serving excesses of religious showmanship and the porous line between sincerity and exploitation.

MERMAID LEGEND

(1984, Japan, Toshiharu Ikeda)

After the sudden death of her husband during a night fishing trip, Migiwa Saijima begins to suspect that the incident was not an accident but the result of corruption involving local businessmen and powerful figures along the coast. Isolated and struggling with grief, she gradually uncovers signs that her husband’s death was tied to a larger conspiracy connected to land development and criminal interests in the region. As the truth becomes clearer, her sorrow transforms into a fierce determination for revenge.

Taking advantage of local folklore surrounding a legendary sea spirit, Migiwa begins a calculated campaign of retaliation against the men she believes responsible. Using the image of a vengeful mermaid to spread fear and confusion, she lures her targets into increasingly dangerous situations, turning the coastal landscape into the setting for a series of violent confrontations.

Directed by Toshiharu Ikeda, Mermaid Legend blends elements of revenge thriller, folklore, and exploitation cinema into a dark story of grief and vengeance set against the stark beauty of Japan’s coastal fishing communities.

ROLLING THUNDER

(1977, USA, John Flynn)

BRAIN DAMAGE

(1988, USA, Frank Henenlotter)

Set in the shadowy underbelly of New York City, a young man named Brian becomes host to a parasitic creature named Aylmer, which injects a euphoric, mind-altering fluid directly into his brain. As the addiction takes hold, Brian finds himself caught between pleasure and destruction, forced to commit increasingly violent acts to feed the creature’s insatiable hunger.

A grotesque and hallucinatory tour de force, Brain Damage exemplifies Frank Henenlotter’s signature blend of body horror, dark comedy, and urban decay. With surreal practical effects, pulsating gore, and a warped sense of humor, the film transforms the human body into a battleground of parasitic control, addiction, and the intoxicating allure of self-destruction.

ROADGAMES

(1981, Australia, Richard Franklin)

A long-haul trucker picks up a mysterious hitchhiker while crisscrossing the isolated roads of rural Australia. When a series of strange disappearances begins to surface, suspicion falls on everyone, and what starts as a routine journey becomes a tense game of cat and mouse. Trapped in a landscape where help is far away, each mile raises the stakes and deepens the sense of unease.

Roadgames is a taut, suspenseful thriller that combines Hitchcockian tension with the stark isolation of the outback. Richard Franklin crafts an atmosphere of paranoia and slow-building dread, keeping viewers uncertain about who can be trusted. Stylish, gripping, and chilling, the film transforms ordinary roads into a labyrinth of fear and obsession, proving that danger can lurk in even the most mundane places.

MYSTERY MOVIE

REPO MAN

(1984, USA, Alex Cox)

PUNK AT 50 PRESENTS

A disaffected young punk drifts into the strange, chaotic world of car repossession in Los Angeles, discovering that the job is far stranger than he imagined. As he chases delinquent vehicles, he encounters anarchic subcultures, shadowy government agents, and a mysterious car with dangerous, possibly extraterrestrial cargo. Every odd encounter pushes him further into a surreal landscape where reality and absurdity collide.

Repo Man is a darkly comic, offbeat cult classic that blends science fiction, punk energy, and social satire. Alex Cox’s direction revels in the absurdities of consumer culture, bureaucracy, and youth rebellion, capturing a city both alien and familiar. Chaotic, irreverent, and wildly imaginative, the film is a collision of genre, attitude, and off-kilter humor that continues to resonate with its anarchic vision of modern life.

DEADLY CIRCUIT

(1983, France, Claude Miller)

Michel Serrault (Kill the Referee) plays ‘The Eye’, a P.I. who becomes obsessed with the target of his investigation, a murderer (Isabelle Adjani, The Story of Adele H.) he follows across Europe as she moves from one victim to another. Believing her to be his long-lost daughter, he conceals evidence as she evades capture and leaves a bloody trail in her wake. A transcontinental noir with wild doses of pitch black humour, Deadly Circuit features both leads on top form alongside a stunning supporting cast including Stephane Audran (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), Macha Méril (Deep Red), Sami Frey (Bande à part), and Jean-Claude Brialy (The Bride Wore Black) among others.

GOD TOLD ME TO

(1976, USA, Larry Cohen)

A disturbed young man named Richie believes he is receiving direct messages from God, commanding him to carry out a series of violent acts. As he drifts through Los Angeles, his delusions intensify, pulling him deeper into a fractured reality where faith, madness, and brutality become indistinguishable.

God Told Me To is a strange, unsettling blend of police procedural, science fiction, and psychological horror. Its mix of religious paranoia, urban decay, and unexpected narrative turns gives it a uniquely disorienting edge, making it one of the more singular genre films of the 1970s.

MYSTERY MOVIE

WENT THE DAY WELL?

(1942, United Kingdom, Alberto Cavalcanti)

A group of villagers in a quiet English countryside community welcome what they believe to be British soldiers stationed in their town. It soon becomes clear that the men are actually German paratroopers in disguise, and the villagers must band together to resist the occupation and fight back against the enemy within.

Blending wartime propaganda with moments of genuine tension and brutality, the film presents a chilling what-if scenario of invasion on home soil. Its calm rural setting contrasts sharply with sudden violence, giving it a stark, unsettling power that lingers beyond its patriotic framework.

MESSIAH OF EVIL

(1973, USA, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz)

A young woman travels to a small coastal California town in search of her missing father, only to find the place gripped by a strange, dreamlike malaise. As she stays in his deserted home, she begins to uncover cryptic writings and disturbing clues that suggest the town is under the influence of a dark, otherworldly force. Her investigation leads her into a series of increasingly surreal and terrifying encounters with its inhabitants.

An eerie, slow-burning horror film that drifts between waking nightmare and cosmic dread, it builds its power through atmosphere rather than conventional scares. Its haunting imagery and disjointed narrative give it a hypnotic, almost apocalyptic tone that has made it a cult favourite.

MATADOR

(1986, Spain, Pedro Almodóvar)

A young man obsessed with bullfighting and death becomes entangled with a former matador and a mysterious lawyer, both of whom are driven by a shared fascination with eroticism and killing. As their paths converge, desire and violence become inseparable, leading them into a dangerous, obsessive relationship where pleasure and death are intertwined.

A provocative blend of melodrama, dark comedy, and psychological thriller, the film explores the connection between sex, death, and spectacle with bold, stylised intensity. Its heightened tone and fixation on obsession and performance make it one of the more striking early works in its director’s filmography.