The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square has confirmed a season of controversial and previously banned films, following the announcement that it has secured its future with a new 25-year lease. The cinema had faced the threat of closure since January 2025, but the new agreement with its landlords includes no break clause.
A Season Built Around The Devils
The season, titled Pairing With The Devils, runs alongside screenings of the uncut 4K version of Ken Russell's nunsploitation film The Devils, which begins on October 30. The lineup includes Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salo, Or The 120 Days of Sodom, Lars von Trier's Antichrist, and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, among other challenging titles.
In a social media post, the cinema said: 'With The Devils screening throughout November, we've built a whole season of films to sit alongside it: Pairing With The Devils.' The post added: 'Across the month, you can also see Antichrist, The Last Temptation of Christ, Salo, Black Narcissus, In The Realm of The Senses, Empire Of Passion, Dogtooth, Benedetta, and The Holy Mountain.'
Reactions and Highlights
Fans have praised the schedule, with one Instagram user calling it 'dream programming' and another writing, 'Insane lineup … only time I wish I lived in London.' The season includes several films with notorious histories, from Antichrist's graphic content that caused walkouts at Cannes to Salo's legacy as one of the most banned films ever made.
Other highlights include Nagisa Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses, still censored in Japan, and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, known for its 15-month shoot that set a Guinness World Record. The season also features Black Narcissus, Dogtooth, The Last Temptation of Christ, Haxan with a live score, Ms. 45, Benedetta, and The Holy Mountain.
The screenings run from October 22 through December 16, with individual titles scheduled on specific dates throughout November.
