Pick of the Week
This Satirical Thriller
Coralie Fargeat's unflinching critique addresses the tyranny of female beauty along with the feared consequences of advancing years. Hollywood star Demi Moore presents a masterful performance playing Elisabeth, an aging celebrity forced into hosting an aerobics show on the small screen. Edged out by her deceitful superior her manager Harvey, she turns to an enigmatic and terrifying procedure titled "The Substance". This creates a youthful duplicate portrayed by Margaret Qualley, culminating in a progressively toxic connection between the two. October 17th, Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10
This classic whodunit thriller includes Knightley in the role of Laura, a top-notch writer who opts for a break from writing about world issues to embark on a luxury cruise with a terminally ill wealthy inheritor and philanthropist, her spouse, plus additional affluent guests. But after a mysterious woman goes overboard during the evening and all passengers claims she was never there, Laura's investigative instincts kick in. Streaming currently, the Netflix platform
Presence
Soderbergh pushes his directorial skills through this nifty ghostly tale captured wholly from the viewpoint of the spirit. When a household with Lucy Liu as Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe moves into their new suburban house, the camera – as the unseen entity – follows them around. The teen shows signs of sensing the ghostly being, and the entity appears defensive toward her. Yet what is the reason? It's a fun idea that remains concise, featuring a surprise that may be unexpected. This Saturday, multiple showings, Sky Cinema
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Cage wholeheartedly adopts his unique fame in this self-referential adventure. He portrays a self-obsessed Hollywood actor playing himself who takes on a $1m payday to appear at a festive event in Mallorca for billionaire Javi Gutierrez. Hired by the intelligence agency to spy on the suspected cartel boss, the actor's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” comes in handy. This Saturday, 9pm, the Channel 4 network
The Black Phone
Scott Derrickson's claustrophobic thriller holds up well despite the lack of a sequel. Set in the late 70s in Denver, a series of kidnappings has left the local kids on edge. After Finney gets captured by “the Grabber” and locked up in a basement, he fears the worst. But the non-functional line in the room keeps ringing, with spooky callers offering help, and the prescient dreams of his sister Gwen might rescue him. An effective horror. Saturday 11 October, late evening, Film4
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
In the conflict between faith and wealth, it's a knockout win for greed in this director's delightfully tacky true story about the fallen TV preacher and her felon spouse. Garfield acts as the venal Jim, who proclaims early on, “God does not want us to be poor,”. The couple set about capitalizing on the American public's Christian beliefs. It's a spectacle of bad interior design, excessive cosmetics and insincerity, yet Jessica Chastain manages to depict the character with compassion. October 14th, late night, Film4
Black Bag
The current week's another release by the same director is a spy mystery as sharp like the turtlenecks sported by the actor's intelligence officer. His assignment is to identify a mole within their ranks from a group of five – among them is his own wife. Each performer are experts of deadpan cool, leading to a delightful mental battle of deception or honesty develops. The supporting cast participate the intelligent intelligence fun. Friday 17 October, various showings, the Sky channel
