Pick of the Week
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's daring commentary tackles the demanding standards for female beauty along with the dreaded aspects of advancing years. Demi Moore offers a masterful acting turn in the role of Elisabeth, a mature actress reduced to hosting a fitness program on the small screen. Pushed out by her unscrupulous employer Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid, she seeks out a secretive and terrifying treatment titled this experimental method. This generates a youthful duplicate named Sue, culminating in a progressively toxic connection between them. Friday 17 October, Paramount+
This Mystery Thriller
This Agatha Christie-esque mystery stars Keira Knightley in the role of Laura, a skilled journalist who opts for some time off from covering international wars to board a luxury cruise alongside an ailing Scandinavian billionaire and charitable figure, her husband, plus additional extremely wealthy guests. But after a mysterious woman disappears from the ship one night and the entire crew denies she ever existed, Laura's investigative instincts kick in. Available now, on Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director pushes his film-making abilities through this clever ghostly tale captured wholly from the perspective of a ghost. As a family including mother Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe moves into their recent residence, the lens – representing the ghost – follows them around. The daughter appears conscious of the supernatural presence, and the entity appears guarding her. Yet what is the reason? This is an entertaining concept that doesn't outstay its welcome, including a revelation you might not see coming. This Saturday, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema
This Self-Referential Film
Cage wholeheartedly adopts his cult stardom in this meta comedy caper. He plays an egotistical celebrity called Nicolas Cage who takes on a $1m payday to appear at a birthday party on the Spanish island for the rich Javi Gutierrez. Hired by the intelligence agency to gather intel on the alleged criminal, the actor's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” is put to the test. Saturday 11 October, evening, on Channel 4
The Black Phone Horror
The director's contained scarefest remains effective despite the lack of a continuation. Set in the late 70s in Denver, multiple child abductions has left the local kids frightened. After Finney gets captured by the kidnapper and held captive in a cellar, he anticipates a terrible outcome. Yet the disconnected phone mounted nearby repeatedly calls, with ghostly voices offering help, as the prophetic visions of Gwen, his sister may be his salvation. An effective horror. Saturday 11 October, late evening, Film4
This Dramatic Portrait
In the struggle between God and Mammon, the victory is clear for materialism in Michael Showalter's delightfully tacky biopic regarding the shamed TV preacher and her criminal husband. The actor portrays the venal Jim, who states early on, “God does not want us to be poor,”. He and Tammy Faye begin capitalizing on the people's Christian beliefs. It's a spectacle of bad interior design, bad makeup and insincerity, yet the lead actress manages to depict the character with compassion. Next Tuesday, early morning, Film4
The Spy Mystery
This week's another release from the filmmaker is a spy mystery as precise similar to the collars used by Michael Fassbender's British agent. He receives a mission to identify a traitor inside the organization out of five possibilities – one of whom is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. Both actors excel of calm composure, leading to a delightful psychological game of deception or honesty takes place. Additional actors join in the smart espionage amusement. This Friday, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema Premiere
