Pick of the Week
This Satirical Thriller
Director Coralie Fargeat's unflinching critique tackles the oppressive nature of women's appearance along with the perceived horrors of ageing. The veteran actress delivers a brilliant acting turn as Elisabeth, a mature celebrity reduced to hosting a fitness program on TV. Edged out by her unscrupulous employer her manager Harvey, she turns to an enigmatic and horrifying process titled the Substance. This generates a younger clone named Sue, leading to a steadily more toxic connection between the two. Friday 17 October, Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10 Film
This classic whodunit mystery features Keira Knightley playing Laura, a top-notch writer who opts for a break from reporting on world issues to board a luxury cruise with a terminally ill Scandinavian billionaire and donor, her partner, as well as other affluent individuals. Yet once an enigmatic female falls into the sea during the evening and the entire crew denies she ever existed, Laura's investigative instincts kick in. Available now, the Netflix platform
Presence
Soderbergh challenges his film-making abilities in this clever supernatural story captured wholly from the perspective of a ghost. When a household with Lucy Liu as Rebekah and her distressed teen Chloe settles into their new suburban house, the lens – representing the ghost – follows them around. The teen shows signs of aware of the poltergeist, and it looks like defensive toward her. However, the motive remains? It's a fun idea that avoids overstaying, featuring a surprise that could catch you off guard. Saturday 11 October, multiple showings, the Sky channel
This Self-Referential Film
The iconic actor wholeheartedly adopts his eccentric image through this meta comedy caper. He portrays a narcissistic celebrity called Nicolas Cage who takes on a million-dollar gig to attend a celebration on the Spanish island for the rich superfan Javi. Hired by the CIA to spy on the alleged criminal, Cage's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” is put to the test. Saturday 11 October, 9pm, the Channel 4 network
The Black Phone
Derrickson's claustrophobic thriller remains effective despite the lack of a follow-up. Located in 1970s Colorado, a series of disappearances has left the children frightened. Once Finney is kidnapped by “the Grabber” and held captive in a basement, he fears the worst. But the disconnected phone mounted nearby repeatedly calls, with eerie communicators giving advice, while the prophetic visions of his sister Gwen may be his salvation. A genuinely scary movie. This Saturday, nighttime, on Film4
This Dramatic Portrait
In the battle between faith and wealth, it's a knockout win for greed in Showalter's wonderfully garish film adaptation of the disgraced TV preacher and her criminal husband. The actor portrays the corrupt Bakker, who declares early on, “God does not want us to be poor,”. The couple commence monetising the nation's spiritual convictions. It's a riot of bad interior design, bad makeup and hypocrisy, though Jessica Chastain achieves to depict the character with compassion. October 14th, 1.15am, Film4
The Spy Mystery
This week's additional entry from Steven Soderbergh delivers a intelligence thriller as sharp as the polo necks worn by Fassbender's intelligence officer. He receives a mission to discover a traitor within their ranks from a group of five – among them is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. The two stars are experts of deadpan cool, so a delicious psychological game of truth or lie unfolds. The supporting cast join in the smart espionage amusement. This Friday, 8.05am, 12.55pm, 8pm, Sky Cinema
