Highlighted Choice
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's unflinching commentary tackles the tyranny of female beauty along with the dreaded aspects of growing older. Demi Moore offers an inspired performance playing Elisabeth, a 50-year-old film star demoted to hosting an aerobics show on the small screen. Edged out by her deceitful superior her manager Harvey, she undergoes a mysterious and gruesome treatment called "The Substance". This produces a new version of herself portrayed by Margaret Qualley, culminating in a steadily more vampiric relationship between the two. This Friday, Paramount+
This Mystery Thriller
This Agatha Christie-esque thriller features the talented actress as Laura, a skilled journalist who decides to take a hiatus from writing about global conflict to board an opulent ship with a terminally ill Norwegian shipping heiress and philanthropist, her husband, plus additional affluent guests. But after a mysterious woman falls into the sea overnight and everyone denies she ever existed, Laura's investigative instincts awaken. Available now, on Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director pushes his creative boundaries through this innovative ghostly tale captured wholly from the perspective of a ghost. When a household with Lucy Liu as Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe occupies their new suburban house, the filming device – as the unseen entity – tracks their movements. Chloe seems sensing the supernatural presence, and the entity appears protective of her. Yet what is the reason? The premise is enjoyable that avoids overstaying, with a twist that could catch you off guard. This Saturday, multiple showings, Sky Cinema
This Self-Referential Film
Cage fully commits to his unique fame in this autobiographical spoof. He plays a self-obsessed celebrity called Nicolas Cage who agrees to a $1m payday to visit a birthday party at a Mediterranean location for the wealthy Javi Gutierrez. Recruited by government spies to gather intel on the alleged criminal, his unique performing skills is put to the test. October 11th, prime time, on Channel 4
This Creepy Thriller
Scott Derrickson's contained scarefest remains effective despite the lack of a sequel. Located in 1978 Denver, a series of kidnappings has rendered the children frightened. When Finney gets captured by the villain and held captive in a cellar, he dreads a terrible outcome. Yet the non-functional line mounted nearby repeatedly calls, with spooky callers giving advice, while the prescient dreams from his sibling Gwen may be his salvation. An effective horror. October 11th, late evening, Film4
This Dramatic Portrait
In the struggle between faith and wealth, the victory is clear for Mammon in Showalter's wonderfully garish biopic regarding the shamed televangelist and her criminal husband. The actor plays the greedy Jim, who proclaims initially, claiming divine approval for wealth. He and Tammy Faye begin profiting from the people's religious faith. It's a spectacle of poor styling, bad makeup and insincerity, however Jessica Chastain achieves to depict the real-life figure as a sympathetic figure. Next Tuesday, 1.15am, the Film4 channel
Black Bag
This week's second offering from Steven Soderbergh is a espionage tale as tight like the turtlenecks used by the actor's intelligence officer. His assignment is to discover a mole inside the organization from a group of five – one of whom is his spouse. Both actors are experts of deadpan cool, resulting in an engaging mental battle of fact versus fiction unfolds. Additional actors participate the smart espionage amusement. October 17th, 8.05am, 12.55pm, 8pm, Sky Cinema
