Today Arrow Films has announced that it will release critically acclaimed metaphysical noir thriller Cosmos, directed by Andrzej Żuławski, in UK cinemas from 19th August 2016.

Cosmos follows two young men who arrive at a family-run guesthouse in rural France. Their anticipation of a few days peace and quiet is undermined by a variety of sinister occurrences. A small bird is found murdered, its neck in a tiny noose, a strangely sexualized stain appears on a wall, and a slug crawls across the breakfast tray.

Are these all signs comprising a portent of truly cosmic significance, or merely bizarre coincidences? And is it any wonder that one of the visitors, Witold (piercing-eyed Jonathan Genet) has such difficulty writing his novel, or that his companion Fuchs (Johan Libéreau) prefers to find solace in earthier pleasures?

The final film by the late Andrzej Żuławski, director of the legendary Possession (the only Cannes-winning arthouse film to be officially classified as a video nasty), Cosmos adapts Witold Gombrowicz’s legendarily challenging novel into a beguilingly witty combination of (deceptively) light-hearted French farce and a complex, knowing reflection on the absurdities both of humanity itself and the way that we define our notion of the universe according to our individual hang-ups.

Starring the César double winning Best Actress Sabine Azéma (Private Fears in Public Places, Smoking, No Smoking), Jean-François Balmer (In the House, Madame Bovary, The Swindle), Jonathan Genet (Les chancelants, Vitalic: Fade Away), Johan Libéreau (Cold Showers, High Lane, The Witnesses), Victória Guerra (Sol de Inverno, Mar de Paixão and Dancin' Days) and Clémentine Pons (Spaghetti Man, Bonjour), Cosmos premiered in the UK at Kinoteka Polish Film Festival and was also nominated for Best Cinematography and Make-Up at this year’s Sophia Awards as well as Best Undistributed Film for the Indiewire Critics’ Poll.