SCREEN TIME
PICTUREHOUSE PICKS Morality is called into question in three more of this month’s eagerly anticipated releases, as Cambridge Arts Picturehouse duty manager and events coordinator Chloe Kelly explains
© SEAFARING LLC
T he programme this autumn looks to be taking a darker turn, as our releases delve into small-town religious cycles, troublesome classrooms and the underbelly of turbulent institutions. Kickstarting the September line-up is debut feature film from writer and director Adrian Chiarella, Leviticus, which opens 4 September. Leviticus has been described as ‘an urgent queer horror’ as it explores the suppression of identity that is inflicted upon teenagers when they nervously fall in love for the first time. Naim (Joe Bird) and his deceptive mother (Mia Wasikowska) move to a small town where the locals turn to religion for a glimmer of light in their dull lives. Naim finds his own ray of hope when he falls for Ryan (Stacy Clausen), but when their young romance is revealed to the town,
they are forcibly subjected to conversion therapy through a religious ritual that welcomes in an unwanted supernatural force – one that takes the form of their deepest desires: each other. Questions surrounding morality also beat through Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea . Opening on 18 September, it stars the acclaimed Juliette Binoche as Amanda, with Tom Courtenay as her stepfather Martin and Anna Calder-Marshall as her mother Leslie. This is our reminder that cinema is always a catalyst for change
Visit picturehouses.com/arts for the full programme, special screenings and events at Sea and Bad Apples is suppression – of people’s ability to connect, prosper and survive – and the potential that societal institutions have to inflict it. This is our reminder that cinema is always a catalyst for change; from these three titles alone, I can tell September is offering morally reflective cinema experiences for all. Amanda and Martin struggle to find a middle ground on an issue that divides them: has Leslie, who is suffering from dementia, lost the ability to make consensual decisions, and if so, who is responsible for making them for her? The striking quality about Queen at Sea is Hammer’s nuanced take on a heartbreakingly real situation many people face in their lives. This film bravely reframes the conversations surrounding consent in end-of-life care systems. Also releasing on 18 September is Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan. Directed by Jonatan Etzler, the screenplay was adapted from a Danish novel to reflect a contemporary British primary school classroom. This dark comedy follows a schoolteacher who takes drastic measures after a student has a violent outburst, quickly uncovering the neglectful nature of her community that turns a blind eye in order to preserve a false sense of safety. The thread connecting Leviticus , Queen
POINTS TO PONDER This month’s picks Leviticus (above left), Bad Apples (above right) and Queen at Sea (top) highlight themes of identity, connection and suppression
32 SEPTEMBER 2026 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook