Pick of the Week
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's daring commentary tackles the oppressive nature of female beauty and the perceived horrors of ageing. The veteran actress offers an inspired portrayal playing Elisabeth, a mature celebrity reduced to hosting a workout series on TV. Pushed out due to her deceitful superior Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid, she turns to a mysterious and terrifying procedure known as "The Substance". This creates a youthful duplicate named Sue, culminating in an increasingly parasitic dynamic between them. October 17th, the streaming service Paramount+
This Mystery Thriller
This classic whodunit mystery features Keira Knightley as Laura, a top-notch writer who decides to take some time off from reporting on world issues to embark on an opulent ship with a gravely sick wealthy inheritor and charitable figure, her partner, and other extremely wealthy guests. But after an enigmatic female falls into the sea during the evening and all passengers claims she was never there, Laura's investigative instincts awaken. Out now, on Netflix
Presence Film
The acclaimed director pushes his film-making abilities through this innovative paranormal narrative filmed completely from the viewpoint of the phantom. As a family featuring mother Rebekah and her distressed teen Chloe moves into their fresh home, the camera – AKA the Presence – follows them around. The daughter appears aware of the ghostly being, and the entity appears protective of her. Yet what is the reason? This is an entertaining concept that remains concise, including a revelation that may be unexpected. Saturday 11 October, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema
Nicolas Cage's Meta Comedy
Nicolas Cage fully commits to his eccentric image through this self-referential adventure. He plays a narcissistic Hollywood actor playing himself who takes on a $1m payday to visit a celebration on the Spanish island for the wealthy Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Recruited by the intelligence agency to gather intel on the potential kingpin, the actor's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” proves useful. October 11th, prime time, the Channel 4 network
This Creepy Thriller
Derrickson's contained scarefest stands strong even without a sequel. Taking place in the late 70s in Denver, a series of kidnappings has rendered the youth anxious. Once Finney gets captured by the villain and held captive in a basement, he fears a terrible outcome. However, the disconnected phone in the room continues to ring, with spooky callers providing assistance, as the prescient dreams from his sibling Gwen could save him. A genuinely scary movie. This Saturday, nighttime, Film4
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the conflict between spirituality and money, the winner is obvious for Mammon in this director's delightfully tacky biopic regarding the shamed religious broadcaster and her felon spouse. The actor plays the venal Jim, who declares initially, claiming divine approval for wealth. Both individuals set about capitalizing on the people's Christian beliefs. It's a riot of poor styling, overdone appearance and bad faith, however the lead actress achieves to depict the real-life figure as a sympathetic figure. October 14th, 1.15am, on Film4
This Espionage Thriller
This week's another release by the same director is a intelligence thriller as tight as the polo necks worn by the actor's UK spy. He receives a mission with uncovering a double agent among the team from a group of five – including is his spouse. The two stars are experts of deadpan cool, so a delicious mental battle of truth or lie takes place. The supporting cast participate the intelligent intelligence fun. Friday 17 October, 8.05am, 12.55pm, 8pm, Sky Cinema
