Hyde Park Picture House: What films are playing this month - and are any Oscar tipped works on show?

Having successfully navigated its first few years since that major 2023 renovation, the cinema enters 2026 with a line-up that proves why it remains the beating heart of Leeds’ cultural scene.

Whether you are settling into the balcony for a star-studded new release like Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, revisiting a Technicolour classic in a Memory Matinee, or engaging with a world-renowned director during a live Q&A, the January schedule offers a deliberate antidote to the post-holiday slump.

From the return of high-stakes zombie horror with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple to the lyrical, much-anticipated romance of The History of Sound, the big screen is packed with stories that demand to be seen together, in the dark, in one of the UK's most beautiful cinemas.

Grab your popcorn and find your seat - here are the 21 films you can’t miss at the Picture House this January.

What’s showing at Hyde Park Picture House this month?

Hamnet (12A) – From January 12

Directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, this is the definitive cinematic adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel.

Set in the 1580s, the film focuses on Agnes (Buckley), a woman with a "witchy" independence and a gift for healing, and her husband Will (Mescal), a struggling Latin tutor. When their young son, Hamnet, succumbs to the plague, the film explores the raw, visceral waves of grief that threaten to pull them apart—and how that tragedy eventually sparked the creation of Shakespeare’s greatest masterpiece, Hamlet.

Marty Supreme (15) – From January 12

In one of the most talked-about performances of the year, Timothée Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a monomaniacal table-tennis champion in 1950s New York.

Loosely based on the life of pro player Marty Reisman, the film is a fast-paced Safdie-style whirlwind; watch out for a stellar supporting cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow as a wealthy socialite and a surprising film debut from Tyler, The Creator.

It’s as much a high-stakes grifter movie as it is a sports drama.

All That Heaven Allows (U) – January 12 & 14

A masterpiece of 1950s Technicolour melodrama from director Douglas Sirk. This Memory Matinee screening follows Cary Scott (Jane Wyman), a wealthy widow in suburban New England who falls for her younger, "earthy" gardener, Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson).

The film is a lush but stinging critique of middle-class conformity and the social barriers that threaten a genuine, forbidden love.

The Tale of Silyan (12A) – January 14

From Tamara Kotevska (the Oscar-nominated director of Honeyland), this Macedonian documentary is a poetic masterpiece. It follows a poor farmer, Nikola, who forms a deep bond with an injured white stork he names Silyan.

This real-life connection is interwoven with the narration of a local folk tale about a boy transformed into a bird, reflecting the struggle of families staying behind while younger generations migrate for a better life.

Peter Hujar's Day (12A) – January 14 & 15

Starring Ben Whishaw as the acclaimed photographer Peter Hujar and Rebecca Hall as artist Linda Rosenkrantz, this film by Ira Sachs is a beautiful time capsule. It recreates a single day in 1974 based on real recordings, capturing the rituals of Hujar’s life and his interactions with 70s cultural icons like Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs.

Animalia (12A) – January 14

Part of the Cinema Africa! series, this Moroccan sci-fi drama follows Itto, a young woman from a modest background who has married into wealth.

When a mysterious "state of emergency" involving supernatural events (think Close Encounters meets New Order) separates her from her husband, she must embark on a journey across the Atlas Mountains that leads to her own spiritual emancipation.

Sentimental Value (15) – Janunary 15

Director Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World) returns with a story of estranged family ties.

Stellan Skarsgård plays Gustav, a fading film director who attempts a "comeback" by casting his daughter, Nora (Renate Reinsve), in a movie inspired by her own grandmother’s trauma. Elle Fanning also stars as a famous American actress caught in the middle of this intense family reunion.

Sylvanian Families: The Movie - A Gift from Freya (U) – January 16

A charming Hyde & Seek treat for families. During the annual Festival of the Stars in Sylvanian Village, Freya the Chocolate Rabbit girl worries about finding the perfect gift for her mother's birthday. It’s a sweet story about community, friendship, and the "Tree of the Year."

The Voice of Hind Rajab (15) – From January 16

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, this devastating docudrama from Kaouther Ben Hania (Four Daughters) is a landmark piece of filmmaking.

It reconstructs the final hours of six-year-old Hind Rajab, trapped in a car in Gaza, using actual audio from her emergency calls to the Red Crescent. It’s an urgent, heart-wrenching exploration of the human cost of conflict and the desperate bravery of rescue workers.

The Hunger (18) – January 17

A stylish, gothic cult classic from 1983. David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve star as Miriam and John, centuries-old vampires living in luxury in modern-day New York.

When John begins to age rapidly, they seek help from a researcher (Susan Sarandon), leading to a dark and decadent love triangle.

SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG) – January 17 & 18

In this latest big-screen adventure, SpongeBob sets out to conquer his fears of the ocean floor. However, things go sideways when he is kidnapped by a ghostly pirate and his cursed crew, leading to a rescue mission full of the show's signature humour.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (12A) – January 18

Life moves pretty fast! This special reRUN screening of the John Hughes classic is a "Cinema Takeover" hosted by Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College.

It’s the perfect chance to see Matthew Broderick’s ultimate day of skiving on the big screen.

Bulk (15) – January 22 (with Ben Wheatley Q&A)

British director Ben Wheatley returns to his cult-horror and sci-fi roots with this mind-bending thriller. When a scientist’s experiment with string theory goes wrong, a "brane" (a multidimensional membrane) explodes, manifesting as a normal-looking townhouse that contains infinite worlds.

Starring Sam Riley, the film deconstructs the medium itself - literally breaking down the sets and cameras as the plot unravels. Wheatley will be in Leeds for a live Q&A on the 22nd.

No Other Choice (15) – From January 23

A dark, satirical thriller from director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy). It follows Yoo Man-su, a middle-class paper mill manager who loses his job to an AI restructuring. Desperate to maintain his lifestyle, he decides the only way to get a new job is to systematically "eliminate" the other top candidates.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (18) – From January 23

Directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland, this ambitious sequel shifts the focus from the initial outbreak to the terrifying society that has emerged decades later.

Ralph Fiennes stars as Dr. Ian Kelson, a man navigating a world where "The Bone Temple"—a ritualistic, cult-like society—promises safety at a brutal price. The first reactions are calling it the "movie of the year," claiming that the inhumanity of the survivors is now far scarier than the infected.

Rocker ‘Brella Fella (U) – January 24 (with Tim Vine Q&A)

A silly musical comedy featuring Tim Vine as Plastic Elvis. Featuring 26 original songs, it follows Sam Salono as he tries to save the family umbrella business. Expect puns, toe-tapping tunes, and a live Q&A with Vine himself.

Wicked: For Good (PG) – From January 24

The second half of Jon M. Chu’s epic musical adaptation arrives. Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda) return as their friendship reaches its breaking point.

As Elphaba is demonised as the "Wicked Witch" and Glinda becomes the face of the Wizard’s regime, the two must decide what it truly means to do "good." Expect show-stopping versions of "No Good Deed" and the climactic "For Good."

Yentl (PG) – January 25

A special reRUN of the 1983 classic. Barbra Streisand directs and stars as a young Jewish woman in Poland who disguises herself as a boy to receive an education in Talmudic Law, leading to a journey of self-discovery and forbidden love.

Sudan, Remember Us (12A) – January 27

A powerful documentary from Hind Meddeb. It documents the 2019 youth-led revolution in Sudan through the stories of young activists who used art, poetry, and protest to demand a better future, capturing the hope and the tragedy of their struggle.

The History of Sound (12A) – January 30

Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor lead this lyrical, tragic romance set during and after WWI. They play Lionel and David, two music students who travel through rural Maine in 1920 to record the vanishing folk songs of their countrymen on wax cylinders. It’s a quiet, slow-burning masterpiece about memory, "shell shock," and the power of a simple melody to connect us across time.

Zootropolis 2 (PG) – January 31

The much-anticipated Disney sequel arrives just in time for the final weekend of the month.

Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are officially partners on the force, but their friendship is tested when a mysterious new reptile arrives in the city, threatening to overturn the delicate balance of the animal metropolis.

Give the cinephile in your life the gift of a membership to Hyde Park Picture House this year - not only will they enjoy free tickets and exclusive perks, but your support helps fund the vital accessible screenings that keep cinema open to everyone in our community. For more information and membership types, visit the Hyde Park Picture House website today.