Pick of the Week
The Substance Film
Coralie Fargeat's unflinching commentary addresses the tyranny of female beauty as well as the feared consequences of growing older. The veteran actress offers a brilliant portrayal in the role of Elisabeth, a mature celebrity reduced to presenting a workout series on the small screen. Edged out thanks to her unscrupulous employer her manager Harvey, she turns to a mysterious and gruesome process called the Substance. This generates a youthful duplicate portrayed by Margaret Qualley, leading to a steadily more vampiric relationship between them. This Friday, Paramount Plus
The Woman in Cabin 10
This suspenseful story features Keira Knightley playing Laura, an ace reporter who opts for a break from writing about international wars to board an opulent ship accompanied by a terminally ill wealthy inheritor and charitable figure, her husband, as well as other filthy rich guests. But after an unknown lady goes overboard overnight and the entire crew insists she wasn't real, the reporter's sleuthing skills take over. Streaming currently, Netflix
Presence
Steven Soderbergh tests his film-making abilities through this clever paranormal narrative captured wholly through the eyes of the spirit. When a household featuring mother Rebekah and her distressed teen Chloe moves into their new suburban house, the filming device – representing the ghost – follows them around. Chloe seems conscious of the poltergeist, and it looks like protective of her. Yet what is the reason? It's a fun idea that remains concise, including a revelation you might not see coming. This Saturday, afternoon and evening times, the Sky channel
This Self-Referential Film
Cage wholeheartedly adopts his unique fame via this autobiographical spoof. He acts as an egotistical Hollywood actor playing himself who agrees to a million-dollar gig to attend a festive event in Mallorca for the wealthy Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Hired by government spies to investigate the suspected cartel boss, his “nouveau shamanic acting ability” is put to the test. Saturday 11 October, evening, the Channel 4 network
The Black Phone Horror
Derrickson's contained scarefest remains effective despite the lack of a continuation. Located in 1970s Colorado, a series of kidnappings has rendered the local kids frightened. When Finney gets captured by “the Grabber” and held captive in a cellar, he dreads a fatal end. However, the old telephone mounted nearby continues to ring, with spooky callers giving advice, as the intuitive nightmares of his sister Gwen might rescue him. An effective horror. Saturday 11 October, 10.50pm, the Film4 channel
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the battle between faith and wealth, the victory is clear for Mammon in Michael Showalter's delightfully tacky biopic regarding the shamed televangelist and her felon spouse. Garfield acts as the venal Jim, who proclaims early on, asserting religious justification for riches. He and Tammy Faye set about capitalizing on the people's religious faith. It's a spectacle of tacky decor, excessive cosmetics and insincerity, though Jessica Chastain manages to depict the real-life figure with compassion. October 14th, 1.15am, on Film4
This Espionage Thriller
This period's additional entry by the same director delivers a spy mystery as sharp like the turtlenecks worn by Fassbender's intelligence officer. He is tasked to discover a traitor among the team from five suspects – among them is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. Both actors are experts of calm composure, so a delicious mind game of deception or honesty unfolds. Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page, Naomie Harris and Marisa Abela take part the intelligent intelligence fun. Friday 17 October, multiple time slots, the Sky channel
