Highlighted Choice
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's bold critique tackles the oppressive nature of feminine aesthetics and the feared consequences of growing older. The veteran actress delivers an inspired acting turn playing Elisabeth, an aging film star forced into presenting a workout series on the small screen. Edged out due to her deceitful superior her manager Harvey, she seeks out a secretive and terrifying treatment called "The Substance". This creates a youthful duplicate called Sue, resulting in a steadily more vampiric relationship between them. This Friday, the streaming service Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10
This Agatha Christie-esque mystery includes Knightley playing Laura, a top-notch writer who decides to take a break from reporting on global conflict to embark on a high-end voyage alongside a terminally ill Norwegian shipping heiress and donor, her spouse, and other affluent passengers. Yet once an enigmatic female goes overboard during the evening and the entire crew denies she ever existed, Laura's investigative instincts kick in. Out now, Netflix
Presence
The acclaimed director pushes his directorial skills through this clever ghostly tale shot entirely from the perspective of the spirit. After a clan including mother Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe settles into their fresh home, the lens – AKA the Presence – shadows their actions. The teen shows signs of sensing the poltergeist, and the entity appears guarding her. However, the motive remains? This is an entertaining concept that avoids overstaying, featuring a surprise that may be unexpected. October 11th, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
Nicolas Cage's Meta Comedy
Nicolas Cage embraces his cult stardom through this meta comedy caper. He plays a self-obsessed celebrity playing himself who takes on a million-dollar gig to visit a festive event in Mallorca for the rich Javi Gutierrez. Recruited by the CIA to gather intel on the alleged criminal, his “nouveau shamanic acting ability” is put to the test. Saturday 11 October, evening, Channel 4
The Black Phone Horror
Scott Derrickson's contained scarefest remains effective despite the lack of a sequel. Taking place in 1970s Colorado, multiple disappearances has rendered the children on edge. Once Finney gets captured by “the Grabber” and held captive in a cellar, he dreads a fatal end. However, the non-functional line mounted nearby continues to ring, with ghostly voices giving advice, as the prophetic visions from his sibling Gwen may be his salvation. An effective horror. This Saturday, nighttime, on Film4
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
In the struggle between God and Mammon, it's a knockout win for materialism in Showalter's delightfully tacky biopic of the disgraced televangelist and her criminal husband. The actor acts as the greedy Jim, who states early on, “God does not want us to be poor,”. He and Tammy Faye commence capitalizing on the nation's Christian beliefs. It's a riot of poor styling, excessive cosmetics and insincerity, though Chastain manages to present the real-life figure with compassion. Tuesday 14 October, 1.15am, Film4
Black Bag
The current week's another release from Steven Soderbergh is a espionage tale as tight like the turtlenecks used by the actor's British agent. His assignment is to identify a mole within their ranks from five suspects – among them is his spouse. The two stars are experts of deadpan cool, resulting in an engaging mental battle of deception or honesty develops. The supporting cast join in the smart espionage amusement. Friday 17 October, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema
