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| Vertigo |
Vertigo, 3.35pm, Film4, Monday, October 24
This Alfred Hitchock classic tells the tale of a detective (James Stewart) who becomes obsessed with a woman who bears eerie similarities to another whom he failed to save. Everything in Vertigo is exquisitely crafted - from the costumes to its sense of melancholy and its central performances from Stewart and Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes' beautifully pitched exploration of unrequited love as supporting character Midge. Hitchock slowly unfurls the psychological suspense in extravagant style, while still retaining an air of sadness. The film took top spot in the BFI Sight and Sound's 10-yearly critics poll in 2012, knocking Citizen Kane from No1, it'll be interesting to see if it can hang on to its crown when this year's results are announced next month.
The Omen, 11.15pm, BBC2, Monday, October 24
Jennie Kermode writes: One of the best horror films of the Seventies and one of the best religious horror films made to date, this story of an American ambassador (Gregory Peck) who inadvertently adopts a baby destined to become the Antichrist is celebrated for its performances, atmosphere and score. Key plot elements hinge on the presence of society photographer Keith Jennings (David Warner), who inadvertently stumbles on an odd photography effect that shows up in pictures of those close to the child and fated to die. When he spots it in an accidental picture of his own reflection, he's prompted to team up with the ambassador in a desperate search for the child's true origins and a means of bringing the evil associated with him to an end. He's just a small player on the film's grand stage and he knows it. For all the anguish of Peck's performance, it's Warner who truly humanises the film and makes it resonate with the audience.
The Lego Movie: The Second Part, CITV Tuesday, October 25
Inevitably, as we approach Halloween, there's a lot of horror films in our list this week, but if you're looking for a laugh and more cross-generational appeal, then you could do a lot worse than catch this animated sequel. It might not be quite as awesome as the first instalment but it's still a lot of fun. The action returns to Bricksburg, where five years after the first film and thanks to warring siblings Bianca (Brooklynn Prince) and Finn (Jadon Sand), master builder Emmet (Chris Pratt) finds himself on a rescue mission. The story becomes too convoluted for its own good but the laugh ratio remains high and the energy is pretty much unstoppable.
The Rider, 11.30pm, Film4, Tuesday, October 25
Before Chloé Zhao started winning just about every award going with Nomadland, she made this lovely low-key character study of young rodeo star Brady (Brady Jandreau) who is facing up to major life changes after an accident. The sense of authenticity is bolstered by her nonprofessional cast, who feel like an organic part of the landscape. The Rider achieves its poignancy in small moments, the comfort of family - embodied by Brady's sister Lilly (Jandreau's real-life sister Lilly), who is on the autistic spectrum - and friendship, as we see his badly hurt pal Lane (Lane Scott) endure the rigours of rehabilitation. Immersive and moving, read what Jandreau and Zhao told us about the film in our interviews about autism and training horses, and the film's other themes.
Navalny, midnight, BBC4, Wednesday October 26
This documentary was a timely late addition to the Sundance line-up this year and the invasion of Ukraine makes it even more of a must watch. Vladimir Putin’s most famous opponent Alexei Navalny is profiled here and proves to be a lively and engaging interviewee, whose sense of humour is remarkably undimmed given that he was almost assassinated by the Russian state. If you are aware of the story of his poisoning and the subsequent wrangle to extract him for treatment to Germany, some of this will be familiar, but it is edited together with verve and director Daniel Roher does a good job of getting Navalny to open up via interview, while also capturing him alongside his family and fellow activists. Nalvalny's ability to be cool and funny under pressure is impressive - not every man would be able to sustain a 'prank call' to those who attempted to kill him. The film is also of interest for the insight it gives into Christo Grozev and the investigative website Bellingcat.
The Orphanage, 11.25pm, Film4, Wednesday, October 26
The themes of Peter Pan - a boy who never grew up and a girl who did - are used to chilling effect in this ghostly tale from Juan Antonio Bayona, who netted seven Spanish Goyas with this debut feature. Laura (Belén Rueda) has returned to the orphanage where she spent time as a child, along with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and young son Simon (Roger Princep), who is HIV positive. When Simon acquires a new imaginary friend and asks to bring him home, it's Laura who finds herself in a sinister game between the real and fantasy, the past and the present. Tension thrums through just about every moment of this exploration of loss as we come to believe, as Geraldine Chaplin's medium Aurora, “Seeing is not believing. It’s the other way around”.
Rocks, 10.15pm, Channel4, Sunday, October 30
Sarah Gavron's films have always featured strong female protagonists (Brick Lane, Suffragette) and this BAFTA-nominated coming-of-age drama is a triumph of diversity across the board. She and writers Theresa Ikoko - who describes it as "a love letter to my sister - and Claire Wilson developed the script with the help of their young cast through workshops, which gives the cadence of the language a natural feel. The film tells the tale of youngster Rocks (Bukky Bakray), who finds herself left looking after her seven-year-old brother Emmanuel when her mum disappears to "clear her head", as she tries to stop anyone finding out about their domestic problems even as the situation deteriorates over the course of a week. The film shines a light on the importance of friendship in the face of a system that is creaking at the seams and features magnetic debuts from almost all the youngsters concerned. It's going to be a strong contender on BAFTA night. Read more about those workshops.
Since it's nearly Halloween, we're sticking with horror for our short. Rebecca Culverhouse's #eatpretty explores the link between social media, isolation and eating disorders.
#eatpretty from Rebecca Culverhouse on Vimeo.
