The Cycle (19:30) - Cinema 1 - 16V

The Cycle

Lesedi, a 22-year-old pageant contestant, struggles with debilitating menstrual pain while preparing for a competition that demands perfection, composure, and beauty. As she attempts to conceal her suffering, a grotesque, blood-covered entity known as The Cycle begins to haunt her, manifesting as a terrifying physical embodiment of her pain. With her supportive friend Lebo growing increasingly concerned and the dismissive pageant director refusing to accommodate her condition, Lesedi is forced to endure her suffering in silence. As the competition reaches its climax, she must maintain her smile and perform despite the creature relentlessly attacking her body. When her pain finally overwhelms her on stage, her collapse exposes the devastating consequences of a world that normalises women’s suffering and expects them to endure it without complaint. Through psychological horror and body horror, The Cycle sheds light on endometriosis, the dismissal of women’s health concerns, and the exhausting reality of living with chronic pain that others cannot see.

Saturday, 21 November 2026 · 19:30 · Cinema 1 · Age rating: 16V

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