Pick of the Week
The Substance Film
Director Coralie Fargeat's bold critique tackles the tyranny of feminine aesthetics as well as the dreaded aspects of growing older. Demi Moore presents a masterful performance playing Elisabeth, a mature film star forced into starring in an aerobics show on TV. Pushed out by her deceitful superior Harvey, she turns to a secretive and horrifying treatment called this experimental method. This creates a youthful duplicate portrayed by Margaret Qualley, leading to an increasingly toxic connection between them. Friday 17 October, Paramount Plus
This Mystery Thriller
This Agatha Christie-esque mystery stars the talented actress as Laura, a top-notch writer who takes a hiatus from covering world issues to embark on a luxury cruise accompanied by an ailing Norwegian shipping heiress and philanthropist, her husband, as well as other extremely wealthy individuals. However when an enigmatic female disappears from the ship during the evening and all passengers insists she wasn't real, her journalistic curiosity kick in. Available now, the Netflix platform
Presence Film
Soderbergh pushes his film-making abilities with this clever ghostly tale filmed completely from the perspective of the phantom. When a household featuring mother Rebekah and troubled teenage daughter Chloe occupies their fresh home, the camera – AKA the Presence – follows them around. Chloe seems conscious of the supernatural presence, and the entity appears defensive toward her. However, the motive remains? It's a fun idea that remains concise, including a revelation that may be unexpected. Saturday 11 October, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
This Self-Referential Film
Nicolas Cage embraces his cult stardom in this self-referential adventure. He acts as a narcissistic film star named Nicolas Cage who takes on a $1m payday to attend a birthday party on the Spanish island for billionaire Javi Gutierrez. Hired by the CIA to spy on the potential kingpin, the actor's “nouveau shamanic acting ability” proves useful. October 11th, 9pm, on Channel 4
The Black Phone Horror
The director's locked-room horror holds up well even without a follow-up. Located in 1970s Colorado, several kidnappings has made the local kids anxious. Once Finney gets captured by “the Grabber” and held captive in a dungeon, he fears a fatal end. But the old telephone on the wall repeatedly calls, with spooky callers offering help, and the intuitive nightmares of Gwen, his sister could save him. A solid creepfest. October 11th, 10.50pm, Film4
This Dramatic Portrait
In the struggle between faith and wealth, the winner is obvious for greed in this director's delightfully tacky film adaptation of the disgraced religious broadcaster and her felon spouse. The actor plays the venal Jim, who proclaims initially, asserting religious justification for riches. Both individuals set about profiting from the American public's Christian beliefs. It's an extravaganza of bad interior design, overdone appearance and insincerity, though the lead actress manages to depict the real-life figure as a sympathetic figure. Tuesday 14 October, late night, on Film4
This Espionage Thriller
This week's additional entry from the filmmaker delivers a intelligence thriller as sharp as the polo necks sported by Fassbender's British agent. His assignment is to discover a traitor inside the organization out of five possibilities – one of whom is his spouse. Each performer excel of calm composure, leading to a delightful psychological game of deception or honesty develops. The supporting cast join in the smart espionage amusement. October 17th, various showings, the Sky channel
