Another year, another Secret Cinema takes place at a [redacted] London location, fellow film enthusiasts donning their best costumes for a night of festivities. Whereas these events were once truely intimate affairs, they have grown exponentially over the last decade, leading to some hits (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future) and the occasional dud (28 Days Later).

That dud, which took place last year, was the last Secret Cinema I attended. It was, frankly, a disaster that left my wallet bone-dry and a bitter, bloody aftertaste in my mouth. It was with some trepidation I attended their screening of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, the Oscar-nominated film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Alas, on I travelled to [redacted], took part in [redacted], and drank [redacted].

First, the note I received from Secret Cinema regarding what I can and can’t discuss here: Please don't reveal any details of the show… but describe the feeling of it all from your perspective and that of the wider audience. With that in mind, I apologise for the lack of precise details and growing amounts of [redacted] mentions.

So, let’s talk about feelings. First, I felt anxious. Everyone else was dressed to the nines, wearing all varieties of corsets, elaborate suits, and suspenders. These weren’t the actors, but the participants. They looked phenomenal. I, on the other hand, only found out I was attending the day before and had therefore quickly thrown together a shirt/jacket combination.

From Secret Cinema's Moulin Rouge! event (Secret Cinema / Laura Little) (Laura Little)

Underdressed (which wasn’t an issue in the end) I entered Montmartre’s infamous cabaret house. Walking through black curtains into the recreation of 1900’s Paris was an almost overwhelming experience; a sensory overload as the incredible looking audience interacted with [redacted], drank a lot of [redacted] and watched performers doing [redacted].

During the [redacted] hours before the film began, there was so much to do and see. Feelings update: excited. Being in Paris’s underbelly, though, definitely lends itself to drinking alcohol, which unfortunately costs an awful lot.

Yes, despite the anti-Brexit, anti-Trump, and pro-Refugee themes flowing throughout the Moulin Rouge, it’s ironically all on the pricey side. Feelings update after handing over £18 for two cocktails: sad.

Films to get excited about in 2017 Show all 13 1 /13 Films to get excited about in 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director: Rian Johnson Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Lupita Nyong'o Plot: No details yet, but it will continue directly on from Rey coming face-to-face with Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. Release Date: 15 December 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Thor: Ragnarok Director: Taika Waititi Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Mark Ruffalo Plot: Story details are minimal as of now, but Thor's third return to screen has already been teased to feature a loose adaptation of the famous 'Planet Hulk' storyline. Release Date: 27 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 You Were Never Really Here Director: Lynne Ramsay Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola Plot: A war veteran's attempt to save a young girl from a sex trafficking ring goes horribly wrong. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Annihilation Director: Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A biologist's husband disappears. She thus puts her name forward for an expedition into an environmental disaster zone, but does not quite find what she's expecting. The expedition team is made up of the biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Wonderstruck (image from Far From Heaven) Director: Todd Haynes Cast: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Amy Hargreaves Plot: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Mother (image of Darren Aronofsky) Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, and Ed Harris Plot: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (image from The Lobster) Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Alicia Silverstone Plot: A surgeon forms a familial bond with a sinister teenage boy, with disastrous results. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Blade Runner 2049 Director: Denis Villeneuve Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. Release Date: 6 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Lady Bird (image of director Greta Gerwig) Director: Greta Gerwig Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Lucas Hedges Plot: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (image of director Steven Spielberg and star Mark Rylance) Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Mark Rylance, Oscar Isaac Plot: The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Director: John Cameron Mitchell Cast: Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman Plot: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Dark Tower Director: Nikolaj Arcel Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Taylor Plot: Gunslinger Roland Deschain roams an Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world. Release Date: 28 July 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Suburbicon Director: George Clooney Cast: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A crime mystery set in the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, where the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and betrayal. Release Date: 24 November

But, was it worth it? Yes. Without spoiling too much, when the film eventually started there were lots of emotions flying through the air. The screening (if you can call it that) was, miraculously, a truly uplifting experience. The crowd was fully on board, having a great time. I was having a great time (and overly enjoyed making snide Obi-Wan/Renton jokes about Ewan McGregor). Even my empty wallet was feeling (almost) validated. The only issue was not being as well versed in the film’s songs as everyone else in attendance. This, of course, was all helped by Moulin Rouge! being a brilliant film. Feelings update: overjoyed.

Plus, when the main event was over, Groove Armada (one of the numerous guests who has played Secret Cinema events, alongside Jarvis Cocker and the Noisettes) popped out for a DJ set, spinning some classic records (and not just the film’s soundtrack). It was basically a pristinely dressed late-night party where - continuing the film’s theme - love was all around.

Groove Armada playing Secret Cinema's Moulin Rouge! event (Secret Cinema / Al Overdrive)

After the event finished, getting the tube back through London was a huge downer. I didn’t want to leave Paris or those short-kept friends. The Moulin Rouge offered a welcome rest from Brexit. From Trump. From this tirelessly messy and turbulent world we all live in. That was the point, as made clear by [redacted]. It was a liberal’s dream. If only it was slightly cheaper.