Top TV Picks: Seven Must-Watch Motion Pictures In the Days Ahead
Pick of the Week
The Substance Film
The filmmaker's bold satire addresses the demanding standards for female beauty and the dreaded aspects of advancing years. The veteran actress offers a masterful acting turn as Elisabeth, a 50-year-old actress demoted to starring in a fitness program on television. Forced aside thanks to her unscrupulous employer her manager Harvey, she turns to an enigmatic and terrifying treatment called "The Substance". This creates a new version of herself called Sue, culminating in an increasingly vampiric relationship between the two. Friday 17 October, the streaming service Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10
This Agatha Christie-esque story includes Knightley playing Laura, an ace reporter who takes some time off from covering international wars to embark on a luxury cruise alongside a gravely sick wealthy inheritor and charitable figure, her partner, plus additional extremely wealthy passengers. Yet once an enigmatic female falls into the sea during the evening and everyone insists she wasn't real, the reporter's sleuthing skills kick in. Available now, Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director tests his directorial skills with this clever ghostly tale filmed completely from the viewpoint of the phantom. As a family including mother Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe moves into their fresh home, the filming device – as the unseen entity – follows them around. The teen shows signs of conscious of the ghostly being, and it looks like guarding her. However, the motive remains? This is an entertaining concept that doesn't outstay its welcome, featuring a surprise that could catch you off guard. Saturday 11 October, multiple showings, Sky Cinema
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
The iconic actor embraces his cult stardom via this meta comedy caper. He plays a self-obsessed film star called Nicolas Cage who agrees to a lucrative offer to appear at a birthday party at a Mediterranean location for the wealthy Javi Gutierrez. Hired by the CIA to investigate the alleged criminal, Cage's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” proves useful. Saturday 11 October, prime time, the Channel 4 network
The Black Phone
The director's claustrophobic thriller holds up well despite the lack of a follow-up. Taking place in 1970s Colorado, a series of kidnappings has rendered the children anxious. When Finney gets captured by the villain and locked up in a basement, he dreads a fatal end. Yet the old telephone mounted nearby repeatedly calls, with spooky callers giving advice, as the prescient dreams of Gwen, his sister could save him. A genuinely scary movie. This Saturday, late evening, on Film4
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the conflict between spirituality and money, it's a knockout win for greed in Michael Showalter's brilliantly over-the-top film adaptation about the fallen televangelist and her felon spouse. Andrew Garfield acts as the venal Jim, who proclaims early on, “God does not want us to be poor,”. The couple set about monetising the nation's spiritual convictions. It's a riot of bad interior design, excessive cosmetics and insincerity, though Chastain manages to present the character with compassion. October 14th, early morning, the Film4 channel
The Spy Mystery
This period's second offering from Steven Soderbergh delivers a intelligence thriller as tight as the polo necks sported by the actor's UK spy. His assignment is to identify a mole inside the organization out of five possibilities – one of whom is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. The two stars are masters of deadpan cool, resulting in an engaging mental battle of fact versus fiction unfolds. Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page, Naomie Harris and Marisa Abela participate the intelligent intelligence fun. October 17th, multiple time slots, the Sky channel