“Oppenheimer” will be screened Saturday and Tuesday nights at the Fredonia Opera House.

The next film in the Cinema Series at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is the drama “Oppenheimer.” It will be screened on Saturday, Sept. 23, and Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m.

During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.

The Chicago Sun-Times calls the film a “gorgeously photographed, brilliantly acted, masterfully edited and thoroughly engrossing epic that instantly takes its place among the finest films of this decade.” The Chicago Reader calls it “jarring and memorable, an ode to creation and consequence.” The San Diego Reader calls it the “story of ordinary men and women caught up in extraordinary times.” ABC News says it’s a “terrifying, transfixing epic (which) emerges as a monumental achievement on the march into screen history.” Rated R for nudity, language, and some sexuality, “Oppenheimer” runs three hours.

Tickets are available at the door for $7 (adults), $6.50 (seniors & Opera House members) and $5 (students) the night of each screening. A book of 10 movie passes is available for $60 at the door or online at www.fredopera.org. For more information, call the Opera House Box Office at 716-679-1891.

The Opera House is equipped with assistive listening headsets for the hearing-impaired. Simply request one from any usher or staff member.

The Opera House Cinema Series is sponsored by Lake Shore Savings Bank. In addition, Opera House programming is made possible by the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-for-profit performing arts center with a mission to “present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region … providing access to artistic diversity … and high quality programming at an affordable price.” It is located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.