Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh is curating a nine-film season at London's Whiteley cinema in Bayswater, running from September 3 to October 30, 2026. Titled 'A Man Under the Influence', the series pairs each screening with a custom cocktail and a video introduction from the director himself.
Nine decades, nine films, one vision
The season spans one film per decade from the 1930s to the 2010s, all hand-picked by Soderbergh. The lineup includes Ernst Lubitsch's screwball romance Trouble in Paradise (1930s), Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Notorious (1940s), the subversive class satire The Servant (1960s), and Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1970s). Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread, set in Fitzrovia, closes the run on October 29.
Each screening will feature a 63-minute happy hour, a nod to Soderbergh's 63rd birthday. Attendees can sip a cocktail crafted by a top London bar using Singani 63, the director's preferred Bolivian spirit. Tickets are priced at £20.90, with doors opening at 6pm.
Cocktail partners and full programme
The full schedule and cocktail partners are as follows: September 3 – Trouble in Paradise (1930s) with a cocktail by Archive & Myth; September 10 – Notorious (1940s) with The Mandrake; September 17 – The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1950s) with Cocktail Trading Company; September 24 – The Servant (1960s) with Viajante 87; October 1 – Jaws (1970s) with Nancy's; October 8 – Do the Right Thing (1980s) with Murder Inc.; October 15 – Fargo (1990s) with The Natural Philosopher; October 22 – Lost in Translation (2000s) with Equal Parts; and October 29 – Phantom Thread (2010s) with Hawksmoor.
Soderbergh previously curated a similar Singani 63 season at New York's Nitehawk Cinema earlier in 2026. 'The only partner we considered for the UK version of A Man Under the Influence was Everyman, whose love of movies is matched only by their commitment to the moviegoing experience,' Soderbergh said in a statement. 'Ask yourself: Can I resist the idea of a classic movie, Singani 63, and the groovy Everyman vibe all happening at the same time? The answer is no, you cannot, so get your butt to The Whiteley on Thursdays this fall and let's light this candle!'
Soderbergh's London connection
London has become a home base for the American director in recent years. He filmed his last two movies, spy thriller Black Bag and art heist flick The Christophers, in the city. The season is described as 'a weekly film and cocktail series showcasing nine personally and culturally influential films curated by Soderbergh, one from each decade from the 1930s to 2010s and each introduced over video by the man himself.'
For tickets and more information, visit the official website. The season runs every Thursday from September 3 to October 30 at The Whiteley in Bayswater.
