A Little Place Off the Edgeware Road, a Short Story by Graham Greene

Craven walks through the rain past the Achilles statue, feeling bitter about his shabby appearance and envying the well-dressed, carefree people around him. He reflects on the need for money to experience love, feeling trapped in a life where only lust is affordable. Seeking refuge from the rain, he buys a ticket to a disused theater on Edgware Road and watches a primitive silent film.
But there is a twist which I won't reveal here.

[@saramurphy345]

Thank you. Very good work.

[@keithcrooks7217]

First read this in an anthology years ago, as a kid - I found it disturbing and it haunted me for weeks.