Highlighted Choice
The Substance
Director Coralie Fargeat's daring satire examines the tyranny of feminine aesthetics along with the dreaded aspects of ageing. Hollywood star Demi Moore delivers a masterful portrayal playing Elisabeth, a 50-year-old celebrity reduced to presenting a fitness program on TV. Pushed out thanks to her slimy boss Harvey, she seeks out an enigmatic and gruesome treatment called the Substance. This creates a youthful duplicate portrayed by Margaret Qualley, culminating in a progressively vampiric relationship between them. Friday 17 October, the streaming service Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10 Film
This Agatha Christie-esque thriller includes Keira Knightley as Laura, a top-notch writer who opts for some time off from writing about global conflict to embark on an opulent ship accompanied by a terminally ill wealthy inheritor and philanthropist, her spouse, and other affluent guests. However when an enigmatic female disappears from the ship during the evening and the entire crew denies she ever existed, Laura's investigative instincts awaken. Streaming currently, the Netflix platform
Presence
Soderbergh tests his film-making abilities in this innovative supernatural story filmed completely from the perspective of the spirit. After a clan featuring mother Rebekah and her distressed teen Chloe occupies their new suburban house, the filming device – AKA the Presence – shadows their actions. The daughter appears sensing the poltergeist, and the entity appears protective of her. Yet what is the reason? This is an entertaining concept that doesn't outstay its welcome, with a twist you might not see coming. This Saturday, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
Nicolas Cage's Meta Comedy
Cage embraces his unique fame through this self-referential adventure. He plays a narcissistic Hollywood actor playing himself who accepts a $1m payday to visit a birthday party on the Spanish island for the wealthy Javi Gutierrez. Hired by government spies to spy on the potential kingpin, his “nouveau shamanic acting ability” is put to the test. Saturday 11 October, prime time, Channel 4
This Creepy Thriller
Scott Derrickson's contained scarefest remains effective without requiring a sequel. Set in the late 70s in Denver, a series of kidnappings has rendered the local kids frightened. When Finney is taken by the kidnapper and locked up in a dungeon, he fears a terrible outcome. Yet the old telephone in the room continues to ring, with eerie communicators providing assistance, as the prophetic visions of Gwen, his sister may be his salvation. An effective horror. This Saturday, nighttime, on Film4
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
In the battle between God and Mammon, it's a knockout win for greed in Showalter's wonderfully garish film adaptation about the fallen TV preacher plus her lawbreaking partner. The actor portrays the venal Jim, who proclaims at the beginning, “God does not want us to be poor,”. He and Tammy Faye set about monetising the people's religious faith. It's an extravaganza of bad interior design, excessive cosmetics and hypocrisy, though Jessica Chastain succeeds to present the real-life figure as a sympathetic figure. Next Tuesday, late night, Film4
Black Bag
This period's second offering by the same director is a intelligence thriller as sharp similar to the collars used by Fassbender's intelligence officer. He is tasked to identify a traitor inside the organization from five suspects – one of whom is his spouse. Each performer are experts of calm composure, so a delicious mental battle of deception or honesty takes place. Additional actors participate the clever spy entertainment. This Friday, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema Premiere
