British cinematographer turned writer-director Molly Manning-Walker’s deeply felt feature debut How to Have Sex is one of our favourite films of the decade so far. Now she’s coming to the Rio to discuss one of her own favourite films: One Battle After Another director Paul Thomas Anderson’s giddy, intense and utterly singular romantic comedy-drama Punch-Drunk Love.

Starring Adam Sandler in his first dramatic role alongside Emily Watson as the object of his affections, Punch-Drunk Love is Anderson’s ode to the Hollywood screwball comedies of the 1940s: tales of mismatched couples drawn together by circumstance and held there by an unexplainable romantic magnetism. Highly original in its use of sound - from nerve-jangling percussion to rapturous orchestral pieces - and colour, with swooningly beautiful abstract interludes created by video artist Jeremy Blake, the film fuses heartfelt romance with scenes of sudden, inexplicable violence, as personified in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s ruthless and terrifying Mattress Man.

We’re delighted to welcome Molly Manning-Walker to introduce the film, to discuss its influence on her own work and its importance to her as a moviegoer.

At The Rio, we’re proud to be the UK’s longest-running cinema - a place where films have been screened, shared and loved since 1909. In 2026, we mark 50 years of being run by and for our community, and we’re celebrating with a 6 month-long programme we’re calling RIO FOREVER. Launching in April 2026, RIO FOREVER honours the Rio as a living part of Hackney’s cultural and social history.

We’ll be showcasing what the Rio does best: bold, eclectic programming; archival gems; and gatherings that bring people together. Throughout the year, we’re inviting filmmakers, artists and cultural agitators to dive into our archive of 50 years of cinema programming and choose a title to reintroduce to the public. Each headline screening will act as a fundraiser to help maintain our beautiful, historic building and ensure the Rio remains an inclusive, vibrant, community-run space for generations to come.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUILDHOLLYWOOD