Our films are now hosted at Chester Picturehouse in their 136-seat Screen 2. Film Society membership costs only £10 for the season, and member tickets for each film must be bought in person, either in advance or on the night, for £5.00 on the production of your 2024/25 Chester Film Society membership card.
Thursday 19th September
The Promised Land (2023, Director: Nikolaj Arcel)
2hr 7m (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) Cert: 15
18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen), a proud and ambitious but impoverished war hero, aims to cultivate a barren land, build a colony for the King, and gain a noble title. Joined by a couple fleeing ruthless nobleman De Schinkel, Kahlen faces natural challenges and bandits. As a community forms, De Schinkel vows revenge, leading to a violent and intense confrontation. More on the IMDB
Audience Score: 8.3
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Glass wine glasses and comfy seats!
Too much blood for me really but the rest was really well done
Beautifully filmed and directed. Strange story of a man’s obsession
I did find the violent scenes disturbing at the time but they needed to be there. An excellent film! Really good to learn about a new bit of history for me!
A strong start
Gosh! Something for everyone – except small children and impressionable adults!!
Completely gripping!
So sad, so bloody
Great film, Great seats, great vibes
Overlong, ending contrived but maybe true – violent and bloody – grand start
Grim but good
Dull plot, saved by some good performances
Much better venue – Great!!A person who gave it 10 – Although I was completely distraught throughout and wouldn’t watch it again – beautifully shot
The person who gave it 2 – circled ‘I loathed it’
The person who gave it 4 – Too cliched! Dreadful script :(Everything thrown in the mix. Monty Python v Ingmar Bergman – Cheer up Mads!
Thursday 10th October
The Origin of Evil (2022, Director: Sebastien Marnier)
2hr 3m (France) Cert: 15
A woman on the verge of financial collapse attempts to impersonate her imprisoned lover and con her wealthy, estranged father and his new family.
See our film notes which will be made available at the screening. More on the IMDB
Audience Score: 7.65
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Enjoyed the music and the setting
Too long sadly
Excellent acting performance
Disney for Adults (gave 8)
Sometimes I found Laure a bit obviously acting
Pure entertainment
What a shower!
Brilliant! Twist upon twist
She would not have made such a mistake at the end
Loved the twist
A pleasantly weird film. Excellent acting
Amazing film – fabulous cinematography, gripping and excellent (crazy!) characters
Superb!
Creative, cringeworthy, callous
Thursday 31st October
Sorcery (2023, Director: Christopher Murray)
1hr 40m (Mexico, Germany, Chile) Cert: 15
On the remote island of Chiloé in the late 19th century, an Indigenous girl named Rosa works with her father on a farm. When the foreman brutally turns on Rosa’s father, she sets out for justice, seeking help from the king of a powerful organization of sorcerers. See our film notes which will be made available at the screening. More on the IMDB
Audience score: 6.7
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Worse soundtrack ever.
Great film and soundtrack.
Thought provoking .
Great Halloween choice
Too much rain !!
Disjointed and poor ending
Slow and unpredictable
Profound , powerful, ponderous.
Don’t mess with the locals !!
No laughs, brutal.
Grey palette of rain and music.
Eerie and atmospheric.
Glad I don’t live there
Spellbinding but puzzling
I love magic realism !
PRIMAL !
Wonderful cinematography
Thursday 21st November
Mami Wata (2023, Director: CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi)
1hr 47m (Nigeria, France, UK Cert: 12A
Captivating and dreamlike. A bold exploration of faith and cultural change. When outside elements threaten harmony in a village, two sisters must fight to save their people and restore the glory of the mermaid goddess to the land. More on the IMDB
Audience score: 6.5
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Demanding , delightful
Loved the physical adornment especially the shells
Muddled plot fell asleep at important moments
Shambling narrative
Slow, odd too much sea
Great to see film from West Africa
Terrifying
No to guns yes to beautiful photography
Very atmospheric. Glad women won in the end!
Great special effects at the end
Thursday 12th December
The Good Boss (2021, Director: Fernando León De Aranoa)
1hr 56m (Spain) Cert: 15
Básculas Blanco, a Spanish company manufacturing industrial scales in a provincial town, anxiously prepares for an imminent visit from a committee that will decide if they deserve a local Business Excellence award. Striving for perfection, the company’s owner, Blanco, races against time to solve employee issues, crossing numerous boundaries. See our film notes which will be made available at the screening. More on the IMDB
Audience score: 7.76
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Brilliant
Took time to develop.
An insufferable character !
Was going to give it 9 but on balance an 8 was right (ha ha!)
Gracias!
Javier superb
Clever dialogue
Extremely witty but heavy handed
Predictable!
Loved the security guard!
Bit long
Desperate lives
Couldn’t keep up with plot but great music
Great performances loved the use of lighting for dramatic effect
Raced along from one excruciating scene to the next
Thursday 9th January 2025
All We Imagine As Light (2024, Director: Payal Kapadia)
1hr 58m (India) Cert: 15
This film dramatizes many of the challenges faced by single women living in Bombay, and underscores their resiliency. All of the women here are nurses at the same hospital, but there the resemblance ends as each has her own particular set of problems and, one could say, solutions. Desire, fear, regret and stolid patience are the emotions that continually alternate as the story quietly unfolds. First Indian film to receive the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. More on the IMDB
Audience score: 7.4
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Fell asleep, too slow, some poor acting, what on earth was the point?
Dull!
Good acting, boring story
Slow
Too Loud
3 individuals from different backgrounds find friends, which is an old trope, but culturally different for me, I liked it, my partner not so much.
Bewildering, sad
Charming and Gentle
Less material wealth more human touch
Beautifully shot, well rounded female characters, didn’t disappoint, just to note the film was mostly in Malayalam with Hindi Marathi dialogue
Mesmerising
Wonderful
Lots of wisdom and beautifully acted
Thursday 30th January 2025
The Echo (2023, Director: Payal Kapadia)
1hr 42m (Mexico) Cert: 12A
A darkly rich natural imagery and crystalline sound combine to create a poetically forceful impression of the small Mexican village that gives the film its name. Between the landscapes we see and the sounds we hear – of galloping hooves, bleating animals and distant thunder – human narratives wriggle in, highlighting the role of women in a rural society that seems to exist somewhere outside time. More on the IMDB
Thursday 20th February 2025
In The Mood For Love (2000, Director: Wong Kar-Wai )
1hr 38m (Hong Kong) Cert: PG
Set in Hong Kong, 1962, a newspaper editor moves into a new building with his wife. At the same time, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, they spend most of their time together as friends. They have everything in common from noodle shops to martial arts. Soon, they are shocked to discover that their spouses are having an affair. Hurt and angry, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates. Presented in the 4K restoration, this nostalgia-soaked depiction of old Hong Kong has never looked better. From the soft mint lamps to verdant potted planters, and on every lipstick-red curtain, mustard-yellow carpet, and jade-green office wall: every single shot in In The Mood For Love is a vision to behold. More on the IMD
Thursday 13th March 2025
Crossing (2024, Director: Levan Akin )
1hr 46m (Sweden/Turkey/Georgia) Cert: 15
Lia, a retired teacher, made a promise to find out what happened to her long lost niece Tekla. When Lia learns from Achi, a neighbour, that Tekla might be living in Turkey, they set off together to find her. In Istanbul they discover a beautiful city full of connections and possibilities – but looking for someone who never intended to be found is harder than they thought. Until they meet Evrim, a lawyer fighting for trans rights. More on the IMD
Thursday 10th April 2025
My Favourite Cake (2024, Directors: Maryam Moghadam & Behtash Sanaeeha )
1hr 37m (Iran) Cert: 12A
70-year-old Mahin has been widowed for 30 years and her two children live abroad. She is living a lonely life in Tehran. But one day, she decides to join her friends for the afternoon tea and finds a new spark in her heart. She meets someone who makes her feel alive again, and the evening brings unpredictable surprises and memories. More on the IMD