Decline in Style season begins
Published July 13, 2026
This Summer, explore the glamorous yet unstable lives of the aristocracy at Studio 74 with our Decline in Style Season. From Victorian extravagance to contemporary satire, these films explore the upper class lifestyle as a form of performance. Characters cling to visibility through costume, spectacle, filmmaking and social ritual, revealing class not as a stable identity, but as an ongoing act of self-invention. What remains when status survives only as theatre?
The season features a variety of new releases all exploring different eras and themes, as well as classic and cinematic masterpiece.
Savage House (15)
Screening until Thu 16 Jul
Set against the backdrop of 18th century England during a massive Pox outbreak and the Jacobite Uprising, this story is a darkly satirical look at the life of a pair of dastardly aristocrats. Starring British cinema icons Richard E. Grant (Saltburn) and Claire Foy (H is for Hawk), this is a madcap play on class and power is filled with duels, decadence, and bloodshed.
Find screening times and book your tickets here>>>
Madfabulous (12A)
Mon 03 Aug - Thu 06 Aug
In North Wales in 1890s, the flamboyant Henry Paget arrives to claim his aristocratic inheritance. His theatrical flair and defiant eccentricities send shockwaves through the upper-class elite, much to the amusement of the local townspeople.
Inspired by a true story, this riotous, uncompromising celebration of otherness, is led fearlessly by rising star and BAFTA nominee Callum Scott Howells (and a splendid supporting cast including Rupert Everett (An Ideal Husband), Ruby Stokes (Bridgerton), and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls).
Find screening times and book your tickets here>>>
Lady (15)
Fri 21 Aug - Thu 27 Aug
‘Outrageous... Like Saltburn on shrooms’ ★★★★ - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
A lonely, narcissistic aristocrat played brilliantly by Sian Clifford (Fleabag, The Ballad of Wallis Island) dupes a struggling, opportunistic director into filming her every move. Her obsession with the spotlight takes a surreal turn when she starts becoming… invisible.
Find screening times and book your tickets here>>>
The Leopard (PG)
Sat 05 Sep - Sun 06 Sep
Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard (Il Gattopardo in Italian) is a sumptuous epic that portrays the fall of 19th-century Sicilian nobility. Beloved by film critics, The Leopard is often considered one of the greatest films of all time.
Burt Lancaster stars as the aging prince watching his culture and fortune wane in the face of a new generation, represented by his upstart nephew (Alain Delon) and his beautiful fiancée (Claudia Cardinale).
Find screening times and book your tickets here>>>
Studio 74 is the home of independent cinema in Exeter, You can find our full film programme here>>>