Pick of the Week
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's daring satire addresses the tyranny of feminine aesthetics along with the feared consequences of ageing. The veteran actress presents a brilliant portrayal playing Elisabeth, a 50-year-old celebrity reduced to hosting an aerobics show on the small screen. Pushed out thanks to her deceitful superior Harvey, she undergoes a mysterious and terrifying treatment called "The Substance". This produces a new version of herself portrayed by Margaret Qualley, resulting in a progressively parasitic dynamic between them. October 17th, Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10
This suspenseful mystery features the talented actress playing Laura, an ace reporter who decides to take a break from writing about global conflict to board an opulent ship accompanied by a terminally ill Scandinavian billionaire and charitable figure, her spouse, plus additional extremely wealthy individuals. However when an enigmatic female falls into the sea during the evening and all passengers claims she was never there, the reporter's sleuthing skills take over. Streaming currently, the Netflix platform
Presence
Soderbergh challenges his film-making abilities with this clever supernatural story captured wholly from the viewpoint of the phantom. When a household with Lucy Liu as Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe settles into their fresh home, the filming device – as the unseen entity – follows them around. Chloe seems aware of the poltergeist, and it seems defensive toward her. However, the motive remains? This is an entertaining concept that remains concise, with a twist that may be unexpected. Saturday 11 October, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, the Sky channel
Nicolas Cage's Meta Comedy
Cage embraces his unique fame in this autobiographical spoof. He acts as an egotistical Hollywood actor named Nicolas Cage who takes on a million-dollar gig to attend a festive event in Mallorca for billionaire Javi Gutierrez. Recruited by the intelligence agency to spy on the potential kingpin, his “nouveau shamanic acting ability” proves useful. Saturday 11 October, prime time, Channel 4
The Black Phone Horror
The director's contained scarefest remains effective without requiring a continuation. Taking place in 1970s Colorado, a series of kidnappings has made the children anxious. After Finney is kidnapped by the kidnapper and locked up in a cellar, he dreads a terrible outcome. Yet the non-functional line in the room keeps ringing, with spooky callers offering help, while the prophetic visions from his sibling Gwen may be his salvation. A genuinely scary movie. Saturday 11 October, late evening, the Film4 channel
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the conflict between God and Mammon, the victory is clear for Mammon in Michael Showalter's wonderfully garish true story about the fallen religious broadcaster plus her lawbreaking partner. Andrew Garfield portrays the greedy Jim, who declares at the beginning, asserting religious justification for riches. He and Tammy Faye begin monetising the nation's Christian beliefs. It's a riot of poor styling, overdone appearance and hypocrisy, though the lead actress manages to depict the real-life figure in a likable light. Next Tuesday, early morning, Film4
This Espionage Thriller
This period's additional entry from Steven Soderbergh delivers a intelligence thriller as precise as the polo necks sported by the actor's UK spy. He receives a mission to discover a mole within their ranks from a group of five – one of whom is his spouse. The two stars are masters of understated style, so a delicious mental battle of deception or honesty takes place. Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page, Naomie Harris and Marisa Abela take part the clever spy entertainment. Friday 17 October, multiple time slots, the Sky channel
