Pick of the Week
The Substance Film
Director Coralie Fargeat's bold commentary examines the demanding standards for female beauty as well as the feared consequences of ageing. Hollywood star Demi Moore presents a brilliant performance playing Elisabeth, a mature actress reduced to presenting a workout series on the small screen. Edged out by her unscrupulous employer her manager Harvey, she seeks out a secretive and terrifying procedure known as "The Substance". This generates a youthful duplicate called Sue, leading to an increasingly vampiric relationship among both women. October 17th, the streaming service Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10
This classic whodunit story features the talented actress as Laura, a top-notch writer who takes a break from writing about global conflict to board a luxury cruise alongside an ailing Scandinavian billionaire and charitable figure, her partner, plus additional extremely wealthy passengers. However when an enigmatic female disappears from the ship overnight and all passengers denies she ever existed, Laura's investigative instincts take over. Available now, on Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director tests his directorial skills in this innovative ghostly tale captured wholly from the viewpoint of the spirit. When a household including mother Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe occupies their new suburban house, the lens – as the unseen entity – shadows their actions. The daughter appears aware of the ghostly being, and it seems guarding her. Yet what is the reason? The premise is enjoyable that avoids overstaying, with a twist that may be unexpected. October 11th, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Cage wholeheartedly adopts his eccentric image in this autobiographical spoof. He acts as an egotistical Hollywood actor called Nicolas Cage who accepts a $1m payday to appear at a birthday party on the Spanish island for the wealthy Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Contacted by government spies to gather intel on the suspected cartel boss, his “nouveau shamanic acting ability” proves useful. This Saturday, prime time, the Channel 4 network
This Creepy Thriller
The director's claustrophobic thriller stands strong even without a sequel. Set in 1978 Denver, a series of disappearances has made the children on edge. Once Finney is taken by “the Grabber” and held captive in a cellar, he dreads the worst. Yet the disconnected phone on the wall continues to ring, with spooky callers giving advice, and the prescient dreams of Gwen, his sister could save him. An effective horror. October 11th, 10.50pm, Film4
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the conflict between faith and wealth, the victory is clear for greed in Michael Showalter's wonderfully garish film adaptation about the fallen televangelist plus her lawbreaking partner. Garfield acts as the greedy Jim, who proclaims initially, “God does not want us to be poor,”. He and Tammy Faye set about capitalizing on the American public's religious faith. It's a spectacle of poor styling, bad makeup and bad faith, yet the lead actress manages to show the character with compassion. October 14th, late night, the Film4 channel
The Spy Mystery
This week's additional entry from the filmmaker presents a intelligence thriller as tight similar to the collars used by Fassbender's intelligence officer. He is tasked to identify a mole inside the organization from a group of five – among them is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. The two stars are experts of understated style, resulting in an engaging mental battle of fact versus fiction takes place. The supporting cast participate the clever spy entertainment. Friday 17 October, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema Premiere
