David Bowie Stars in The Man Who Fell to Earth
A 50th anniversary screening of the 1976 science fiction film is coming to Hastings, starring the iconic musician in his first major acting role. This cult classic has been hailed as a visually stunning and thought-provoking exploration of human culture.
Dir: Nicolas Roeg
Cast: David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Tony Mascia, Buck Henry, Bernie Casey, Adrienne La Russa, Claudia Jennings
139 mins · 1976 · United Kingdom, Netherlands Antilles · Cert 18 · English
IMDb 6.6/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 79% · Metacritic 81/100 · TMDB 6.5/10 · Trakt 65%
Awards: 1 win & 4 nominations total
The Man Who Fell to Earth 50th Anniversary
15 Nov 2026
Electric Palace Hastings
What draws you to a film about an alien struggling to navigate human culture? The Man Who Fell to Earth, directed by Nicolas Roeg, is a complex and visually stunning exploration of human values and desires, starring David Bowie as the enigmatic Thomas Jerome Newton. • The film's use of surreal imagery and Bowie's captivating performance have contributed to its cult following and critical acclaim. • With a runtime of 139 minutes, The Man Who Fell to Earth is a slow-burning and meditative film that challenges viewers to confront the darker aspects of human nature. • The movie has been praised for its experimental approach and compared to other sci-fi classics, such as Under the Skin, and has been ranked among the greatest science fiction films of all time by several publications.
The 50th anniversary screening of The Man Who Fell to Earth will take place on Sunday, 15 November 2026, at the Electric Palace Hastings in Hastings. Tickets are with the button beside the article. This is a unique opportunity to experience a film that has been hailed as a landmark of science fiction cinema, with its thought-provoking themes and striking visuals continuing to inspire and intrigue audiences to this day.
Stills
What viewers say
saundrew · 7/10
This movie screams '70s art film. Part of that makes it a great watch, while the other part of it gets a bit annoying. I kind of like the concept of not knowing all the details of his alien heritage until we get to know him better. He just kind of starts where he fell, and we watch his plans unfold. The most interesting aspect (and the reason I own this) is watching David Bowie in his first big acting role. Quite frankly, he shows his skill…
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gazz1e · 9/10
Bit of a weird one this. While watching it I found it quite difficult to keep track of the time, as it kept jumping into the future from one scene to the next. There was also the odd unexplained thing - such as Mr Newton seeing old fashioned farmers in a field (and them seeing his car). Most things got resolved with a check to Wikipedia. I usually rate a film depending if it makes a lasting impression on me (if I can remember it the following…
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seeyoshirun · 2/10
Aside from one or two moments of lovely imagery, this is a fascinatingly bad film, with a meandering storyline that is left unmoored among a group of performances that are all either underdone (Bowie, rest his soul) or comically overdone (Clark).
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Blackburdtx · 6/10
I like the plot of the movie and the ambition of the writers, but it does not deliver. I suspect the actors and all the other people involved with the production got in their own way. David Bowie's acting performance is amateur level. All in all this watches like a B movie, which had a great trajectory in the beginning and then falls apart in the weirdest of ways. It might be worth watching just for the weirdness and unique things on it's own…
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miguelreina · 7/10
[Filmin] The birth of The Thin White Duke. Sex and science fiction. A psychedelic journey through the caverns of human vices. Not even an alien can avoid succumbing to the pleasures of money, alcohol and drugs. '70s aesthetic that's both vintage and wildly modern. It improves when he is faithful to the book and skids in the attempt to emancipate from it. David Bowie's music isn't there, but Stomu Yamash'ta's is, as hypnotic as the film itself.
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CinemaSerf · 6/10
Very much a vehicle for David Bowie, this is otherwise a rather derivative and unimaginative story of an alien ("Newton") who arrives on Earth, naked and penniless. He is tasked with trying to find a way to save his own doomed planet, but quickly discovers that he has skills! He can make money, and money buys nice things; it buys nice sex; it gives him power... All of these pleasures distract him from the purpose of his visit. Can he refocus?…
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