Prime Small Screen Selections: 7 Can't-Miss Movies This Week
Pick of the Week
The Substance
The filmmaker's daring commentary tackles the oppressive nature of women's appearance along with the feared consequences of growing older. The veteran actress offers a masterful portrayal as Elisabeth, an aging film star reduced to presenting a fitness program on the small screen. Edged out thanks to her unscrupulous employer her manager Harvey, she seeks out an enigmatic and horrifying procedure called this experimental method. This generates a youthful duplicate named Sue, resulting in an increasingly parasitic dynamic between the two. Friday 17 October, the streaming service Paramount+
This Mystery Thriller
This Agatha Christie-esque mystery includes Keira Knightley in the role of Laura, a top-notch writer who opts for some time off from writing about global conflict to embark on an opulent ship with a terminally ill Scandinavian billionaire and donor, her husband, plus additional extremely wealthy individuals. However when a mysterious woman disappears from the ship overnight and everyone claims she was never there, the reporter's sleuthing skills kick in. Available now, on Netflix
Presence
Steven Soderbergh pushes his creative boundaries with this clever ghostly tale shot entirely through the eyes of the spirit. As a family with Lucy Liu as Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe occupies their new suburban house, the camera – AKA the Presence – follows them around. The teen shows signs of sensing the supernatural presence, and the entity appears protective of her. But why? It's a fun idea that avoids overstaying, including a revelation that may be unexpected. This Saturday, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema
Nicolas Cage's Meta Comedy
The iconic actor wholeheartedly adopts his unique fame via this meta comedy caper. He portrays a narcissistic celebrity playing himself who agrees to a $1m payday to appear at a festive event on the Spanish island for billionaire Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Hired by government spies to gather intel on the suspected cartel boss, his unconventional method proves useful. This Saturday, evening, Channel 4
The Black Phone
The director's locked-room horror stands strong despite the lack of a follow-up. Located in 1978 Denver, a series of kidnappings has left the local kids frightened. Once Finney is kidnapped by the kidnapper and held captive in a basement, he anticipates a fatal end. Yet the old telephone on the wall continues to ring, with ghostly voices offering help, while the prophetic visions from his sibling Gwen might rescue him. An effective horror. This Saturday, 10.50pm, the Film4 channel
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
In the conflict between faith and wealth, it's a knockout win for Mammon in Showalter's delightfully tacky biopic regarding the shamed TV preacher and her criminal husband. Andrew Garfield portrays the corrupt Bakker, who declares at the beginning, asserting religious justification for riches. The couple begin capitalizing on the American public's spiritual convictions. It's a spectacle of tacky decor, excessive cosmetics and bad faith, though Jessica Chastain succeeds to depict the character in a likable light. October 14th, early morning, Film4
Black Bag
This period's additional entry from the filmmaker presents a espionage tale as tight similar to the collars used by the actor's intelligence officer. He receives a mission to identify a mole within their ranks from five suspects – including is his own wife. Each performer excel of deadpan cool, leading to a delightful mental battle of fact versus fiction develops. Additional actors join in the intelligent intelligence fun. October 17th, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema Premiere
