Pick of the Week
This Satirical Thriller
Coralie Fargeat's daring satire addresses the tyranny of feminine aesthetics as well as the dreaded aspects of ageing. Demi Moore delivers an inspired acting turn as Elisabeth, a 50-year-old actress demoted to hosting an aerobics show on the small screen. Edged out due to her unscrupulous employer Harvey, she turns to an enigmatic and terrifying treatment titled the Substance. This generates a younger clone called Sue, culminating in a steadily more toxic connection between them. Friday 17 October, the streaming service Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10 Film
This Agatha Christie-esque story includes Knightley playing Laura, a skilled journalist who decides to take a hiatus from covering international wars to join an opulent ship alongside a gravely sick Norwegian shipping heiress and philanthropist, her husband, plus additional affluent passengers. But after an enigmatic female goes overboard overnight and all passengers claims she was never there, Laura's investigative instincts kick in. Out now, on Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director pushes his directorial skills through this nifty ghostly tale shot entirely from the perspective of the spirit. As a family with Lucy Liu as Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe settles into their fresh home, the camera – representing the ghost – tracks their movements. Chloe seems aware of the poltergeist, and it seems guarding her. But why? It's a fun idea that doesn't outstay its welcome, including a revelation you might not see coming. This Saturday, afternoon and evening times, Sky Cinema Premiere
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Nicolas Cage fully commits to his cult stardom in this self-referential adventure. He plays a self-obsessed Hollywood actor called Nicolas Cage who takes on a $1m payday to appear at a birthday party in Mallorca for billionaire Javi Gutierrez. Contacted by the CIA to gather intel on the potential kingpin, Cage's unconventional method comes in handy. October 11th, 9pm, Channel 4
This Creepy Thriller
Scott Derrickson's claustrophobic thriller stands strong despite the lack of a sequel. Taking place in 1978 Denver, a series of kidnappings has made the youth frightened. After Finney is kidnapped by the villain and imprisoned in a dungeon, he anticipates a fatal end. But the disconnected phone mounted nearby repeatedly calls, with ghostly voices giving advice, and the prophetic visions of his sister Gwen could save him. An effective horror. October 11th, 10.50pm, on Film4
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the battle between spirituality and money, it's a knockout win for Mammon in Michael Showalter's delightfully tacky biopic of the disgraced TV preacher and her criminal husband. The actor plays the corrupt Bakker, who states early on, “God does not want us to be poor,”. He and Tammy Faye set about capitalizing on the American public's spiritual convictions. It's a riot of bad interior design, bad makeup and insincerity, though the lead actress manages to depict the character with compassion. October 14th, early morning, the Film4 channel
Black Bag
This period's additional entry by the same director is a spy mystery as tight as the polo necks worn by Fassbender's UK spy. He receives a mission with uncovering a double agent inside the organization from five suspects – among them is his own wife. Both actors are masters of calm composure, resulting in an engaging psychological game of deception or honesty develops. The supporting cast take part the intelligent intelligence fun. This Friday, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema Premiere
