login | register

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

An anatomically incorrect rock odyssey  

Year: 2001 
Running Time:
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (XWide) 
Certificate: BBFC 15 Cert – Not suitable for under 15s 
Subtitles: This film is not expected to be subtitled, though this cannot be guaranteed. 
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell 
Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask  
An image from Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Buy Tickets on the SU Website:
19:30 Monday 16th June 2025

Review:

Yes, the same one from that one episode of Sex Education.

A screen adaptation of the stage musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is an ode to glam rock legends like David Bowie. The film follows Hedwig from her beginnings as a boy in post-war Berlin to her life as an infamous rock star. In just 95 minutes, the film explores vignettes from Hedwig’s life, bringing to life one of the most fun and vibrant protagonists I’ve had the joy of watching in a while. And all of this is paired with excellent musical sequences. This is an unabashedly unique, personal, and ridiculously entertaining film that I can only critique by wishing it was longer.

Anant Nambiar

Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the bizarre life story of a rock and roll drag queen, from her beginnings as a small boy in East Berlin to the present day. It shows her falling in love with an American G.I. then going for a sex change operation, waking up to find nothing but a "one inch mound of flesh" where her organ should be. The story is packed with twists and turns at every stage, and has to be seen to be believed.

Remarkably, I really enjoyed seeing this film, which is told mostly through songs, despite the fact I normally hate musicals. The soundtrack picked for the movie is perfect - packed with rock and roll that's easily on a par with Tommy. After seeing this film I went away humming the tune to one particular song that stuck with me for days.

Considering this film is a directorial debut and has no big name stars in it, the acting is fantastic and the story line very strong. The character of Hedwig could so easily have been one dimensional and easy to poke fun at, the truth is John Cameron Mitchell gives the character so much emotional depth you forget this is a fictional story.

This film is totally inspiring and uplifting, well worth a look.

Archive

More Information | Back to Previous Schedule | This Season  |  BBFC Classification Guidelines

Screenings of this film:

2001/2002 Spring Term (35mm)
2024/2025 Summer Term (digital)