Pick of the Week
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's daring satire examines the oppressive nature of female beauty and the perceived horrors of advancing years. Demi Moore offers a brilliant acting turn playing Elisabeth, a mature celebrity demoted to hosting a fitness program on television. Edged out thanks to her slimy boss Harvey, she undergoes a mysterious and gruesome treatment called the Substance. This creates a youthful duplicate named Sue, resulting in a progressively parasitic dynamic between them. Friday 17 October, Paramount Plus
The Woman in Cabin 10
This suspenseful mystery includes the talented actress playing Laura, an ace reporter who opts for a break from covering world issues to join a high-end voyage alongside a gravely sick Scandinavian billionaire and donor, her spouse, as well as other extremely wealthy passengers. But after a mysterious woman disappears from the ship one night and the entire crew claims she was never there, her journalistic curiosity awaken. Out now, on Netflix
Presence Film
Steven Soderbergh pushes his creative boundaries through this clever paranormal narrative shot entirely from the perspective of the spirit. When a household with Lucy Liu as Rebekah and her distressed teen Chloe settles into their new suburban house, the filming device – representing the ghost – tracks their movements. The teen shows signs of conscious of the ghostly being, and the entity appears protective of her. Yet what is the reason? This is an entertaining concept that remains concise, with a twist that may be unexpected. This Saturday, multiple showings, Sky Cinema
Nicolas Cage's Meta Comedy
Cage embraces his unique fame through this self-referential adventure. He acts as a self-obsessed film star called Nicolas Cage who accepts a $1m payday to visit a celebration at a Mediterranean location for billionaire Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Contacted by the intelligence agency to spy on the alleged criminal, his “nouveau shamanic acting ability” proves useful. Saturday 11 October, prime time, on Channel 4
The Black Phone
Scott Derrickson's contained scarefest holds up well even without a continuation. Located in 1978 Denver, several kidnappings has left the youth on edge. When Finney is kidnapped by “the Grabber” and held captive in a basement, he anticipates the worst. Yet the old telephone in the room continues to ring, with spooky callers offering help, while the intuitive nightmares from his sibling Gwen may be his salvation. An effective horror. This Saturday, nighttime, Film4
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
In the struggle between faith and wealth, it's a knockout win for greed in this director's wonderfully garish biopic regarding the shamed TV preacher and her criminal husband. Garfield acts as the venal Jim, who states initially, claiming divine approval for wealth. The couple begin capitalizing on the people's Christian beliefs. It's an extravaganza of poor styling, overdone appearance and hypocrisy, though Jessica Chastain manages to show the character with compassion. October 14th, 1.15am, Film4
The Spy Mystery
This week's second offering from Steven Soderbergh is a espionage tale as sharp similar to the collars sported by the actor's UK spy. His assignment is to discover a double agent among the team from five suspects – one of whom is his own wife. Both actors excel of deadpan cool, leading to a delightful mind game of fact versus fiction develops. Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page, Naomie Harris and Marisa Abela take part the smart espionage amusement. October 17th, 8.05am, 12.55pm, 8pm, the Sky channel
