Rentals

Based on the Book…

Literature has inspired some of the greatest films ever made.

Literary adaptations often get a bad press, with the books’ fans lamenting the necessary excision of events in the book or the loss of tone and character. Yet the best film adaptations capture the mood of the original while completely reimagining the story in their transition to the big screen.

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DuneDune

Science Fiction1984131 minsDirector: David Lynch

David Lynch brings Frank Herbert’s powerful novel and rich fantasy world to life in this cinematic spectacle.

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Both Sides of the BladeBoth Sides of the Blade

Drama2021117 minsDirector: Claire Denis

Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlin, Claire Denis pairs Juliette Binoche with Vincent Lindon as long-term lovers whose domestic bliss is ripped apart when a figure from their past returns.

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Drive My CarDrive My Car

Drama2021179 minsDirector: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Inspired by Haruki Murakami’s short story, Ryūsuke Hamaguchi takes us on an unpredictable and self-revelatory journey in this serene yet riveting Oscar-winning drama.

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Kensuke's KingdomKensuke's Kingdom

Animation & Artists Moving Image202384 minsDirector: Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry

Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel is brought to life in this delightful, animated tale of a young castaway who discovers he’s not alone.

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A Man Called OveA Man Called Ove

Comedy2015116 minsDirector: Hannes Holm

A curmudgeon turns over a new leaf in this Oscar-nominated comedy that became one of Swedish cinema’s biggest hits.

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YardieYardie

Crime2018102 minsDirector: Idris Elba

In his thrilling directorial debut, Idris Elba brings to life Victor Headley’s cult crime novel.

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OrlandoOrlando

Fantasy199393 minsDirector: Sally Potter

Tilda Swinton stars in Sally Potter's dazzling interpretation of Virginia Woolf's novel.

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How to Build a GirlHow to Build a Girl

Drama2019104 minsDirector: Coky Giedroyc

Beanie Feldstein stars as a young rock journalist in this coming-of-age comedy, based on the novel by Caitlin Moran.

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A Monster CallsA Monster Calls

2016108 minsDirector: J.A. Bayona

JA Bayona's visually inventive and deeply moving story about a boy who draws on his expansive imagination to come to terms with impending loss, adapted from Patrick Ness’ hugely popular book.

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You Were Never Really HereYou Were Never Really Here

Thriller201790 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay

Lynne Ramsay journeys with Joaquin Phoenix into the mind of an ex-soldier gun-for-hire whose own demons are as brutal as the actions of his adversaries.

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You Will Die at TwentyYou Will Die at Twenty

Drama2019102 minsDirector: Amjad Abu Alala

How do you live, knowing the exact date of your death? A young man is haunted by a prophecy that his life will end as soon as he turns 20.

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The Reason I JumpThe Reason I Jump

Documentary202182 minsDirector: Jerry Rothwell

Award-winning director Jerry Rothwell's compelling documentary is a rare cinematic and sensorial insight into the world of non-speaking autistic people.

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The Girl on the TrainThe Girl on the Train

Thriller2016112 minsDirector: Tate Taylor

Emily Blunt stars in the adaptation of the best-seller about a divorcee who entangles herself in the investigation of a missing young woman.

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The Children ActThe Children Act

Drama2018105 minsDirector: Richard Eyre

As her marriage crumbles, a judge (Emma Thompson) must decide a case involving a teenage boy who is refusing a blood transfusion on religious principle.

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TrishnaTrishna

Drama2012114 minsDirector: Michael Winterbottom

Tragedy befalls a young Indian woman when she falls in love with a rich British man in Michael Winterbottom's sharp Thomas Hardy update.

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PinocchioPinocchio

Fantasy2019125 minsDirector: Matteo Garrone

In this unnerving live action adaptation of the classic tale, wood carver Gepetto (Roberto Benigni) crafts a wooden boy named Pinocchio who magically comes to life.

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The BFGThe BFG

Children's2016117 minsDirector: Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg’s luminous Roald Dahl adaptation boasts an enchanting performance from Mark Rylance as the Big Friendly Giant who befriends a little girl (Ruby Barnhill).

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High-RiseHigh-Rise

Science Fiction2016119 minsDirector: Ben Wheatley

Ben Wheatley's savage and brilliant adaptation of JG Ballard's dystopian satire, starring Tom Hiddleston.

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The Glass CastleThe Glass Castle

Biopic2017127 minsDirector: Destin Daniel Cretton

Woody Harrelson, Brie Larson and Naomi Watts play members of an anarchic family that refuses society's norms, in this moving and offbeat drama from the director of Short Term 12.

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The Diary of a Teenage GirlThe Diary of a Teenage Girl

Drama2015102 minsDirector: Marielle Heller

The US indie hit tells the bold, bawdy and hilarious story of a teenager's sexual awakening after she sleeps with her mother’s boyfriend.

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The Invisible WomanThe Invisible Woman

Biopic2014111 minsDirector: Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this adaptation of Claire Tomalin’s book about the long-standing affair between Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan.

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Sunset SongSunset Song

Drama2015136 minsDirector: Terence Davies

Agyness Deyn stars in Terence Davies’ moving drama about a strong young woman facing many adversities in the run up to WWI.

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RoomRoom

Thriller2016118 minsDirector: Lenny Abrahamson

Brie Larson’s Oscar-winning performance is the beating heart of Lenny Abrahamson’s extraordinarily moving drama.

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On Chesil BeachOn Chesil Beach

Drama2018110 minsDirector: Dominic Cooke

Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle play a young, married couple struggling to physically connect in this sensitive adaptation of Ian McEwan’s acclaimed novel.

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The Jungle BookThe Jungle Book

Action and Adventure1942106 minsDirector: Zoltan Korda

A Technicolor marvel and early adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s celebrated novel, following a young boy raised in the jungle by animals.

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CarolCarol

Drama2015119 minsDirector: Todd Haynes

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara illuminate Todd Haynes’ intoxicating adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s beloved novel.

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The DoubleThe Double

Drama201493 minsDirector: Richard Ayoade

Richard Ayoade’s stylish and sinister adaptation of Dostoevsky’s story stars Jesse Eisenberg in a dual-role as a timid office clerk confronted by his confident, scheming doppelganger.

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A Woman's LifeA Woman's Life

Drama2016119 minsDirector: Stéphane Brizé

Judith Chemla shines in this Guy de Maupassant adaptation, a tale spanning 20 years of a woman’s life.

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Far from the Madding CrowdFar from the Madding Crowd

Period drama1968165 minsDirector: John Schlesinger

Terence Stamp and Julie Christie star in the classic adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s tale of tragedy and passion.

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The Imitation GameThe Imitation Game

Biopic2014115 minsDirector: Morten Tyldum

Benedict Cumberbatch’s roundly acclaimed performance anchors the incredible, Oscar-winning story of code-breaker Alan Turing.

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The FatherThe Father

Drama202097 minsDirector: Florian Zeller

Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor Academy Award® for his powerful portrayal of a man dealing with the onset of dementia.

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American PsychoAmerican Psycho

Drama2000102 minsDirector: Mary Harron

Christian Bale slays his competition in this chilling satire set in ‘80s Wall Street.

Currently unavailable

Perfume: The Story of a MurdererPerfume: The Story of a Murderer

2006141 minsDirector: Tom Tykwer

Ben Whishaw first lead role in a movie was as the serial killer obsessed with smell in Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of the celebrated novel.

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Apocalypse NowApocalypse Now

War1979141 minsDirector: Francis Ford Coppola

Transplanting Joseph Conrad’s colonial-era novel Heart of Darkness to Vietnam, Coppola created a mesmerising fantasia on the spectacle of war.

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Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyTinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Thriller2011127 minsDirector: Tomas Alfredson

Gary Oldman leads an all-star cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy, in this acclaimed adaptation of John Le Carré's esteemed spy novel.

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FilthFilth

Drama201397 minsDirector: Jon S. Baird

The biting Irvine Welsh adaptation stars a sensational James McAvoy, boldly cast against type as the cop struggling to suppress his inner demons.

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DenialDenial

Drama2017110 minsDirector: Mick Jackson

Powerful, aggressively relevant courtroom drama restaging the trial that questioned the events of the Holocaust. Rachel Weisz and Timothy Spall star.

Currently unavailable

Manon des SourcesManon des Sources

Drama1986109 minsDirector: Claude Berri

The sequel to Jean de Florette concludes the Provencal period saga about two farming clans, headed by Emmanuelle Béart and Daniel Auteuil.

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The BookshopThe Bookshop

Drama2017113 minsDirector: Isabel Coixet

Words run riot when a free-spirited bookseller (Emily Mortimer) introduces a sleepy town to a host of provocative literature

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BlackBlack

Drama201590 minsDirector: Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi

Star-crossed lovers from rival street gangs conduct an illicit affair in this pulsating urban romance.

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StrongerStronger

Biopic2017119 minsDirector: David Gordon Green

Jake Gyllenhaal excels in a rousing story of strength and survival, from the acclaimed director of Prince Avalanche and George Washington.

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The Elephant ManThe Elephant Man

Biopic1980124 minsDirector: David Lynch

David Lynch's moving true-life tale of the severely deformed Joseph Merrick and his rescue from the hell of a Victorian circus sideshow.

Currently unavailable

Live FleshLive Flesh

Drama199797 minsDirector: Pedro Almodóvar

Pedro Almodóvar’s sexy and suspenseful thriller follows the intertwining destinies of a cop (Javier Bardem) and the criminal who paralyses him.

Currently unavailable

PhilomenaPhilomena

Biopic201398 minsDirector: Stephen Frears

Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star in the deeply moving yet warm-hearted drama about a woman’s search for her forcibly adopted son.

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WonderstruckWonderstruck

Drama2017116 minsDirector: Todd Haynes

Julianne Moore stars in Todd Haynes' playful adaptation of Brian Selznick’s acclaimed young adult novel, which follows two children from different eras as they set out to find people from their pasts.

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Blue is the Warmest ColourBlue is the Warmest Colour

Romance2013180 minsDirector: Abdel Kechiche

The epic, passionate and strikingly naturalistic Palme d'Or-winning romance.

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On the RoadOn the Road

Road movie2012124 minsDirector: Walter Salles

Walter Salles’ vibrant adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel follows three youths from the beat generation as they traverse America.

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Brighton RockBrighton Rock

Thriller194893 minsDirector: John Boulting

Richard Attenborough’s unforgettably sinister turn as ‘Pinkie’ pervades this classic adaptation of the Graham Greene novel.

Rent for £1.00

The Bespoke OvercoatThe Bespoke Overcoat

Fantasy195538 minsDirector: Jack Clayton

A clerk in a cold warehouse wants one of the warm sheepskin coats stacked around him.

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BrooklynBrooklyn

Romance2015112 minsDirector: John Crowley

Saoirse Ronan shines as a woman who journeys from post-war small-town Ireland to New York, in Nick Hornby’s adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s best-selling novel.

Currently unavailable

The DuchessThe Duchess

Biopic2008110 minsDirector: Saul Dibb

Keira Knightley plays an 18th-century duchess who challenges convention by responding to her husband’s infidelities with affairs of her own.

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Testament of YouthTestament of Youth

Drama2015130 minsDirector: James Kent

Alicia Vikander brings to life the extraordinary life of Vera Brittain, whose affair with a dashing friend (Kit Harington) is cruelly cut short by the onset of war.

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SubmarineSubmarine

Comedy201197 minsDirector: Richard Ayoade

Richard Ayoade’s sweet and quirky directorial debut about a Swansea teen’s travails with his distant girlfriend and warring parents.

Currently unavailable

BlindnessBlindness

Thriller2008121 minsDirector: Fernando Meirelles

Fernando Meirelles (City of God) presents a haunting dystopian allegory about a sudden epidemic of blindness affecting humanity.

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My Life As a CourgetteMy Life As a Courgette

Animation & Artists Moving Image201667 minsDirector: Claude Barras

Both young and adult audiences will enjoy this funny and touching animated feature about an orphan named Courgette, written by Céline Sciamma (Girlhood).

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Tale Of TalesTale Of Tales

Fantasy2016134 minsDirector: Matteo Garrone

Mythical monsters, shape-shifting sisters and a giant flea are all on the menu in Matteo Garrone’s fulsome feast of gothic fantasy.

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Hunt for the WilderpeopleHunt for the Wilderpeople

Comedy2016101 minsDirector: Taika Waititi

Juvenile delinquent Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) forms an unlikely partnership with Sam Neill’s grizzled bushman in this hilarious wild adventure from Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows).

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SilenceSilence

Drama2017161 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese

Scorsese’s epic meditation on spiritual strength, with Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as missionaries on the search for their missing mentor.

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Memories of a TeenagerMemories of a Teenager

Drama201997 minsDirector: Lucas Santa Ana

An Argentine teenager finds life and love difficult following the death of his gay best friend, in this powerful recreation of adolescence.

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The ProgramThe Program

Biopic2015103 minsDirector: Stephen Frears

Ben Foster is Lance Armstrong in this kinetic account of the cyclist who fell from grace, from acclaimed director Stephen Frears.

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LegendLegend

Crime2015131 minsDirector: Brian Helgeland

Tom Hardy’s magnetic double-performance as infamous East End gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray commands Brian Helgeland stylish biopic.

Rent for £2.50

The RainbowThe Rainbow

Drama1989106 minsDirector: Ken Russell

Ken Russell returns to D. H. Lawrence for the story of a young girl’s sexual awakening and immersion in a love triangle with both a man and a woman.

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Centre of My WorldCentre of My World

Drama2016115 minsDirector: Jakob M. Erwa

A young man falls for the new boy at school in this energetic and inventive adaptation of Andreas Steinhoefel’s acclaimed YA novel.

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My Left FootMy Left Foot

Biopic1989103 minsDirector: Jim Sheridan

Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his extraordinary performance as Christy Brown, the disabled Dubliner who became a writer and painter.

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PaperhousePaperhouse

Fantasy198989 minsDirector: Bernard Rose

Bernard Rose’s cult adult fantasy follows a young girl who discovers an increasingly dark and dangerous dream world.

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The Personal History of David CopperfieldThe Personal History of David Copperfield

Drama2019120 minsDirector: Armando Iannucci

Armando Iannucci brings David Copperfield fizzing to life with all-star collaborators in this exuberant, entertaining and sharply pertinent adaptation.

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Oliver TwistOliver Twist

Period drama1948116 minsDirector: David Lean

Arguably the essential Dickens adaptation, David Lean’s evocative portrayal of Victorian London in sooty black and white features Alec Guinness as a memorably sinister Fagin.

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Under the SkinUnder the Skin

Horror2014108 minsDirector: Jonathan Glazer

An alien Scarlett Johansson prowls the streets of Glasgow in Jonathan Glazer’s astonishing, mind-bending mixture of existential sci-fi and inner-city realism.

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My Friend DahmerMy Friend Dahmer

Biopic2017107 minsDirector: Marc Meyers

Marc Meyers' adaptation of Derf Backderf’s revered graphic novel is an unnerving teen horror-drama about the makings of a murderer.

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The OdysseyThe Odyssey

Biopic2016123 minsDirector: Jérôme Salle

Jérôme Salle's candid biopic of the underwater explorer and photographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau is a bold tribute to the lure of the sea.

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SpiderSpider

Drama200394 minsDirector: David Cronenberg

David Cronenberg directs Ralph Fiennes in this chilling psychological drama about a mentally-disturbed man facing his horrifying childhood memories.

Currently unavailable

ScroogeScrooge

Fantasy195187 minsDirector: Brian Desmond Hurst

Alastair Sim’s best known performance, as Dickens’ notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge.

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Notes on BlindnessNotes on Blindness

Documentary201687 minsDirector: James Spinney and Peter Middleton

James Spinney and Peter Middleton's highly original documentary uses cinematic interpretations and textured sound design to express a ‘world beyond sight.’

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The Limehouse GolemThe Limehouse Golem

Crime2017109 minsDirector: Juan Carlos Medina

Bill Nighy plays the arch detective investigating a series of grisly murders around the music halls of Victorian London, in this pungent Gothic mystery.

Currently unavailable

River Runs through ItRiver Runs through It

Biopic1992124 minsDirector: Robert Redford

Two contrasting and occasionally conflicted brothers find solace while fly fishing the rivers of their Montana home.

Currently unavailable

Dracula (1958)Dracula (1958)

Horror195882 minsDirector: Terence Fisher

Hammer's 1958 version of Stoker's Gothic novel was the most exciting to date, boasting lavish costumes and sets, a vibrant score and red, red blood.

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The L-shaped RoomThe L-shaped Room

Drama1962126 minsDirector: Bryan Forbes

Bryan Forbes directs the Oscar-nominated story of a French woman (Leslie Caron) moving to London while unmarried, pregnant, and alone.

Currently unavailable

The Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House of Usher

Horror195071 minsDirector: Ivan Barnett

An eerie British version of the classic Poe chiller, strong enough for a rare 'H' (for Horrific) certificate.

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Salmon Fishing in the YemenSalmon Fishing in the Yemen

Comedy2012111 minsDirector: Lasse Hallström

Two London office workers find love on a Yemeni Sheikh's ambitious fishing scheme. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt star.

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Something Must BreakSomething Must Break

Drama201485 minsDirector: Ester Martin Bergsmark

A striking 21st-century love story about the passionate relationship between a transgendered teen and a straight man.

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The Final ProgrammeThe Final Programme

Science Fiction197386 minsDirector: Robert Fuest

Wild adaptation of Michael Moorcock's novel about a playboy's search for the lost designs of the perfect self-replicating human.

Currently unavailable

Jean de FloretteJean de Florette

Drama1986116 minsDirector: Claude Berri

The film that inspired a wave of British migration to Provence, Claude Berri’s magical evocation of a bygone rustic France, with Gerard Depardieu.

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He Dreams of GiantsHe Dreams of Giants

Documentary202083 minsDirector: Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe

Terry Gilliam battles with obsession and self-doubt in this poignant, insightful documentary on the making of his long-anticipated screen adaptation of Don Quixote.

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Holding the ManHolding the Man

Biopic2015128 minsDirector: Neil Armfield

A sweepingly romantic adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s best-selling memoir, an impassioned love letter to his partner, John Caleo.

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SoursweetSoursweet

Drama1989111 minsDirector: Mike Newell

Hong Kong newlyweds seek a fresh start in 60s Britain, but fall foul of the Triad underworld in this adaptation of Timothy Mo's blackly comic novel.

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Great Expectations Great Expectations

Drama1947118 minsDirector: David Lean

The first of David Lean’s two Dickens adaptations is one of the finest British literary interpretations and one of the most acclaimed of all British films.

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