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Pick of the Week

The Substance

The filmmaker's unflinching critique tackles the oppressive nature of feminine aesthetics and the perceived horrors of ageing. The veteran actress delivers a brilliant performance in the role of Elisabeth, a mature actress forced into hosting an aerobics show on the small screen. Pushed out by her slimy boss Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid, she seeks out a mysterious and horrifying procedure called the Substance. This generates a younger clone called Sue, culminating in an increasingly vampiric relationship between the two. This Friday, the streaming service Paramount+

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The Woman in Cabin 10 Film

This Agatha Christie-esque story includes the talented actress playing Laura, a skilled journalist who takes a hiatus from reporting on world issues to board an opulent ship alongside a gravely sick Scandinavian billionaire and donor, her husband, plus additional extremely wealthy individuals. However when a mysterious woman goes overboard overnight and everyone claims she was never there, her journalistic curiosity take over. Streaming currently, the Netflix platform

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This Supernatural Story

Soderbergh tests his directorial skills with this innovative supernatural story shot entirely from the viewpoint of a ghost. As a family with Lucy Liu as Rebekah plus Callina Liang as Chloe moves into their fresh home, the filming device – AKA the Presence – follows them around. The teen shows signs of aware of the poltergeist, and the entity appears protective of her. Yet what is the reason? This is an entertaining concept that remains concise, including a revelation that could catch you off guard. Saturday 11 October, 4.35pm, 10.10pm, the Sky channel

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The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The iconic actor fully commits to his cult stardom through this self-referential adventure. He acts as an egotistical Hollywood actor named Nicolas Cage who agrees to a million-dollar gig to appear at a celebration in Mallorca for the wealthy Javi, played by Pedro Pascal. Contacted by the intelligence agency to gather intel on the potential kingpin, his unique performing skills comes in handy. Saturday 11 October, prime time, the Channel 4 network

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The Black Phone

Scott Derrickson's locked-room horror remains effective despite the lack of a sequel. Located in the late 70s in Denver, several child abductions has rendered the children frightened. After Finney is kidnapped by “the Grabber” and held captive in a cellar, he fears a terrible outcome. However, the disconnected phone in the room keeps ringing, with ghostly voices giving advice, while the prophetic visions of his sister Gwen could save him. A solid creepfest. October 11th, 10.50pm, Film4

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The Eyes of Tammy Faye

In the battle between God and Mammon, the winner is obvious for materialism in this director's delightfully tacky true story of the disgraced TV preacher and her criminal husband. Andrew Garfield portrays the greedy Jim, who declares at the beginning, claiming divine approval for wealth. He and Tammy Faye set about profiting from the people's Christian beliefs. It's a spectacle of poor styling, bad makeup and bad faith, though Chastain manages to present the character with compassion. October 14th, late night, Film4

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This Espionage Thriller

This week's second offering from Steven Soderbergh is a intelligence thriller as tight as the polo necks worn by Michael Fassbender's British agent. He receives a mission to discover a double agent among the team out of five possibilities – including is Kathryn, played by Cate Blanchett. The two stars are masters of deadpan cool, leading to a delightful psychological game of deception or honesty unfolds. Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page, Naomie Harris and Marisa Abela participate the intelligent intelligence fun. Friday 17 October, multiple time slots, the Sky channel