Pick of the Week
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat's bold satire addresses the oppressive nature of women's appearance along with the perceived horrors of ageing. The veteran actress delivers an inspired acting turn playing Elisabeth, a mature film star forced into presenting an aerobics show on television. Pushed out by her deceitful superior Harvey, she seeks out a secretive and gruesome procedure known as "The Substance". This generates a younger clone called Sue, culminating in a progressively vampiric relationship between the two. October 17th, Paramount+
The Woman in Cabin 10
This suspenseful story features Knightley playing Laura, a top-notch writer who decides to take a hiatus from writing about global conflict to join a luxury cruise alongside an ailing Scandinavian billionaire and donor, her spouse, as well as other filthy rich guests. But after an enigmatic female falls into the sea during the evening and the entire crew claims she was never there, the reporter's sleuthing skills awaken. Out now, the Netflix platform
Presence
Soderbergh pushes his creative boundaries in this clever paranormal narrative captured wholly through the eyes of the spirit. After a clan including mother Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe moves into their new suburban house, the lens – as the unseen entity – follows them around. Chloe seems aware of the ghostly being, and the entity appears protective of her. However, the motive remains? This is an entertaining concept that remains concise, including a revelation that could catch you off guard. Saturday 11 October, multiple showings, Sky Cinema
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Cage fully commits to his cult stardom through this self-referential adventure. He portrays a narcissistic Hollywood actor called Nicolas Cage who agrees to a million-dollar gig to attend a birthday party in Mallorca for the wealthy superfan Javi. Recruited by the intelligence agency to investigate the potential kingpin, Cage's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” is put to the test. October 11th, 9pm, Channel 4
The Black Phone
Scott Derrickson's contained scarefest holds up well even without a continuation. Located in 1970s Colorado, several child abductions has rendered the youth on edge. Once Finney gets captured by the villain and imprisoned in a dungeon, he anticipates a terrible outcome. However, the old telephone in the room repeatedly calls, with ghostly voices offering help, while the intuitive nightmares from his sibling Gwen may be his salvation. A genuinely scary movie. Saturday 11 October, 10.50pm, the Film4 channel
The Tammy Faye Biopic
In the conflict between faith and wealth, the victory is clear for Mammon in Showalter's wonderfully garish true story of the disgraced TV preacher plus her lawbreaking partner. The actor portrays the corrupt Bakker, who states early on, asserting religious justification for riches. The couple commence profiting from the nation's religious faith. It's a riot of tacky decor, overdone appearance and bad faith, yet Jessica Chastain manages to present the real-life figure with compassion. Tuesday 14 October, early morning, the Film4 channel
Black Bag
The current week's another release from the filmmaker presents a espionage tale as sharp as the polo necks used by Fassbender's UK spy. He is tasked with uncovering a double agent inside the organization from five suspects – one of whom is his spouse. Each performer are experts of understated style, resulting in an engaging psychological game of deception or honesty develops. The supporting cast participate the smart espionage amusement. This Friday, multiple time slots, Sky Cinema Premiere
