Pick of the Week
The Substance
Director Coralie Fargeat's daring critique examines the tyranny of female beauty and the feared consequences of ageing. The veteran actress offers a brilliant acting turn in the role of Elisabeth, a mature celebrity forced into starring in a fitness program on TV. Forced aside due to her unscrupulous employer Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid, she undergoes a secretive and horrifying procedure called the Substance. This generates a youthful duplicate called Sue, resulting in a steadily more parasitic dynamic between the two. Friday 17 October, the streaming service Paramount+
This Mystery Thriller
This Agatha Christie-esque mystery includes Knightley in the role of Laura, a top-notch writer who opts for a break from covering international wars to embark on a luxury cruise accompanied by a gravely sick wealthy inheritor and donor, her spouse, and other filthy rich passengers. However when an enigmatic female falls into the sea one night and all passengers claims she was never there, Laura's investigative instincts take over. Available now, on Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director tests his creative boundaries through this nifty paranormal narrative shot entirely through the eyes of the phantom. When a household including mother Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe settles into their fresh home, the camera – AKA the Presence – tracks their movements. The teen shows signs of sensing the poltergeist, and it looks like protective of her. But why? It's a fun idea that remains concise, featuring a surprise that may be unexpected. October 11th, afternoon and evening times, the Sky channel
This Self-Referential Film
Cage fully commits to his unique fame in this autobiographical spoof. He portrays a narcissistic Hollywood actor playing himself who agrees to a million-dollar gig to appear at a celebration at a Mediterranean location for the wealthy superfan Javi. Hired by the CIA to investigate the potential kingpin, Cage's unconventional method is put to the test. This Saturday, evening, the Channel 4 network
The Black Phone Horror
Derrickson's locked-room horror stands strong even without a follow-up. Set in 1970s Colorado, a series of child abductions has rendered the youth anxious. Once Finney gets captured by the villain and imprisoned in a dungeon, he fears a terrible outcome. But the old telephone in the room keeps ringing, with ghostly voices providing assistance, as the prophetic visions of his sister Gwen could save him. A genuinely scary movie. Saturday 11 October, nighttime, the Film4 channel
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the struggle between God and Mammon, it's a knockout win for greed in this director's delightfully tacky biopic of the disgraced televangelist plus her lawbreaking partner. The actor portrays the greedy Jim, who proclaims initially, asserting religious justification for riches. He and Tammy Faye begin capitalizing on the people's spiritual convictions. It's an extravaganza of poor styling, overdone appearance and bad faith, yet Jessica Chastain succeeds to show the character in a likable light. Next Tuesday, 1.15am, the Film4 channel
The Spy Mystery
This week's additional entry from the filmmaker presents a espionage tale as sharp similar to the collars worn by the actor's UK spy. He receives a mission to identify a double agent within their ranks out of five possibilities – among them is his spouse. The two stars are masters of deadpan cool, so a delicious mind game of fact versus fiction unfolds. Additional actors take part the intelligent intelligence fun. October 17th, 8.05am, 12.55pm, 8pm, the Sky channel
