Pick of the Week
The Substance Film
Coralie Fargeat's unflinching commentary examines the tyranny of female beauty and the perceived horrors of growing older. Demi Moore presents a brilliant performance playing Elisabeth, a 50-year-old actress reduced to presenting a fitness program on the small screen. Edged out thanks to her deceitful superior Harvey, she seeks out a secretive and gruesome treatment called this experimental method. This creates a younger clone named Sue, resulting in an increasingly vampiric relationship between them. Friday 17 October, Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10 Film
This classic whodunit thriller features Knightley as Laura, a top-notch writer who takes a break from covering international wars to board a luxury cruise alongside an ailing Scandinavian billionaire and charitable figure, her partner, plus additional affluent guests. But after an unknown lady disappears from the ship during the evening and all passengers insists she wasn't real, her journalistic curiosity awaken. Streaming currently, the Netflix platform
This Supernatural Story
Steven Soderbergh pushes his film-making abilities through this clever ghostly tale filmed completely from the perspective of a ghost. As a family with Lucy Liu as Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe settles into their fresh home, the camera – as the unseen entity – tracks their movements. Chloe seems sensing the ghostly being, and the entity appears defensive toward her. However, the motive remains? The premise is enjoyable that remains concise, featuring a surprise you might not see coming. Saturday 11 October, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, the Sky channel
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
The iconic actor wholeheartedly adopts his eccentric image in this meta comedy caper. He acts as an egotistical film star called Nicolas Cage who agrees to a lucrative offer to attend a birthday party at a Mediterranean location for the rich Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Recruited by the CIA to investigate the suspected cartel boss, his unconventional method is put to the test. This Saturday, 9pm, Channel 4
This Creepy Thriller
The director's locked-room horror holds up well despite the lack of a continuation. Located in the late 70s in Denver, a series of disappearances has left the youth frightened. Once Finney is taken by the kidnapper and locked up in a basement, he anticipates the worst. Yet the old telephone on the wall repeatedly calls, with ghostly voices giving advice, while the prophetic visions from his sibling Gwen may be his salvation. A solid creepfest. October 11th, 10.50pm, the Film4 channel
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the conflict between God and Mammon, the victory is clear for Mammon in Michael Showalter's delightfully tacky true story regarding the shamed televangelist and her criminal husband. The actor plays the venal Jim, who proclaims at the beginning, asserting religious justification for riches. He and Tammy Faye begin monetising the American public's Christian beliefs. It's a spectacle of bad interior design, bad makeup and bad faith, though the lead actress achieves to depict the real-life figure as a sympathetic figure. October 14th, late night, on Film4
This Espionage Thriller
The current week's second offering by the same director is a intelligence thriller as tight as the polo necks used by Michael Fassbender's British agent. His assignment is to discover a double agent among the team from five suspects – among them is his spouse. Both actors excel of understated style, resulting in an engaging psychological game of truth or lie takes place. Additional actors take part the smart espionage amusement. Friday 17 October, various showings, the Sky channel
