Highlighted Choice
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's daring commentary examines the tyranny of female beauty along with the perceived horrors of advancing years. The veteran actress presents a masterful portrayal in the role of Elisabeth, a mature celebrity reduced to hosting a workout series on TV. Edged out thanks to her deceitful superior her manager Harvey, she turns to a secretive and terrifying process known as "The Substance". This produces a youthful duplicate portrayed by Margaret Qualley, leading to an increasingly vampiric relationship between them. Friday 17 October, the streaming service Paramount+
This Mystery Thriller
This suspenseful thriller features Knightley playing Laura, a skilled journalist who takes some time off from writing about international wars to embark on a high-end voyage alongside a gravely sick Scandinavian billionaire and philanthropist, her partner, as well as other extremely wealthy passengers. But after a mysterious woman disappears from the ship overnight and the entire crew insists she wasn't real, the reporter's sleuthing skills kick in. Available now, on Netflix
Presence
Soderbergh tests his directorial skills with this innovative supernatural story captured wholly from the perspective of the spirit. As a family with Lucy Liu as Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe occupies their fresh home, the filming device – as the unseen entity – follows them around. The daughter appears conscious of the supernatural presence, and the entity appears guarding her. Yet what is the reason? The premise is enjoyable that avoids overstaying, featuring a surprise that could catch you off guard. Saturday 11 October, multiple showings, Sky Cinema Premiere
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Nicolas Cage fully commits to his eccentric image in this autobiographical spoof. He portrays a self-obsessed celebrity playing himself who agrees to a million-dollar gig to visit a festive event at a Mediterranean location for the rich superfan Javi. Hired by government spies to gather intel on the alleged criminal, Cage's unconventional method proves useful. Saturday 11 October, evening, the Channel 4 network
The Black Phone
The director's claustrophobic thriller remains effective even without a follow-up. Located in 1978 Denver, several disappearances has left the local kids anxious. When Finney is taken by “the Grabber” and imprisoned in a basement, he dreads a fatal end. However, the non-functional line on the wall repeatedly calls, with eerie communicators offering help, and the prophetic visions from his sibling Gwen could save him. A genuinely scary movie. October 11th, 10.50pm, Film4
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the battle between faith and wealth, the victory is clear for greed in Showalter's wonderfully garish true story about the fallen TV preacher plus her lawbreaking partner. Garfield acts as the venal Jim, who states early on, claiming divine approval for wealth. He and Tammy Faye set about monetising the nation's spiritual convictions. It's an extravaganza of bad interior design, excessive cosmetics and bad faith, however the lead actress manages to depict the real-life figure with compassion. Next Tuesday, 1.15am, Film4
This Espionage Thriller
This period's another release from the filmmaker presents a espionage tale as tight like the turtlenecks worn by Michael Fassbender's British agent. He receives a mission to discover a double agent within their ranks out of five possibilities – among them is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. Both actors excel of understated style, leading to a delightful mental battle of deception or honesty unfolds. Additional actors join in the intelligent intelligence fun. October 17th, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema
