A dark-haired woman (Laura Elena Harring) is left amnesiac after a car crash. She wanders the streets of Los Angeles in a daze before taking refuge in an apartment. There she is discovered by Betty (Naomi Watts), a wholesome Midwestern blonde who has come to the City of Angels seeking fame as an actress. Together, the two attempt to solve the mystery of Rita's true identity. The story is set in a dream-like Los Angeles, spoilt neither by traffic jams nor smog.

A neon-drenched trip through nocturnal Taipei, Millennium Mambo stars Shu Qi as Vicky, a bar hostess losing interest in her dull, garrulous boyfriend, and attracted to the mysterious, sensual gangster Jack. Built as a flashback from the future, she finds herself afloat amidst a world of ecstatic nights out and an undertow of nagging emptiness, torn between the two men.

Like Edward Yang (A Brighter Summer Day, Yi Yi), director Hou Hsiao-Hsien emerged as one the major figures of the Taiwanese New Wave, and even collaborated with Yang as a screenwriter on Taipei Story (1985).

Misunderstood at the time by critics and audiences as a misstep in Hou’s otherwise excellent track record, it’s now reclaimed as a vital cog in his filmography. Hou’s meditative style is front-and-centre in Millennium Mambo, aided by the presence of the sublime cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bin, who at the time had just finished work on In the Mood for Love (2001).

Don't miss our fan favourite MYSTERY MOVIE screenings! On a near weekly basis we will serve up a random mystery movie, with No Clues and No Hints as to what they will be. 

In 2026, we'll be presenting these as STAFF CURATED selections each and every week by our lovely Front of House, Duty Manager, and Projection Team! You can find the schedule below:

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Wed 22nd July - Flore's Pick (94 minutes) 

Wed 29th July - Aya's Pick (120 minutes)

Wed 5th Aug - Chloe's Pick (91 minutes)

Wed 12th Aug - Liv's Pick (92 minutes)

Wed 19th Aug - Julia's Pick (82 minutes)

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You can find a list of every MYSTERY MOVIE we have ever screened HERE ; if a film is on this list, it is not eligible for future Mystery Movie screenings!

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Content Advice : As these films are a mystery, we aren't able to provide specific ratings / guidance on the film's content. We strongly advise that you take this into consideration before purchasing a ticket.

A disheveled man who wanders out of the desert, Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) seems to have no idea who he is. When a stranger manages to contact his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell), Travis is awkwardly reunited with his sibling. Travis has been missing for years, and his presence unsettles Walt and his family, which also includes Travis's own son, Hunter (Hunter Carson). Soon Travis must confront his wife, Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and try to put his life back together.

Writer/director Robert Altman claimed this impressionistic film came to him in a dream. Millie Lammoreaux (Shelley Duvall) considers herself irresistible to men, though in fact men have little trouble resisting her. Mysterious teenager Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek), Millie's fellow physical therapist at a desert spa who becomes her roommate at a singles-only apartment building, at first appears worshipful of Millie's self-confidence but soon seems to be taking over aspects of her personality.