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| Never Rarely Sometimes Always Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute |
Eliza Hittman's restrained and affecting consideration of teenage pregnancy and abortion feels, if anything, even more relevant in the wake of changes in US law than it did when it premiered in Sundance in 2020. We follow 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flannigan) as she travels from a small town in Pennsylvania to New York with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) after finding she is pregnant, to try to get an abortion. Hittman zeroes in on the almost casual dangers that Autumn and Skylar face on their trip, with both young actresses impressively communicating the complexity of their characters. HIttman'sclear-sighted and unfussy approach helps her point to hit home all the harder. Read our interview with Eliza Hittman and Sidney Flannigan.
Navalny, 10pm, BBC4, Tuesday, February 7
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.
Quatermass And The Pit, 3pm, Legend, Wednesday, February 8
Jennie Kermode writes: Adapted by Nigel Kneale from his book and television series, Quatermass’ only outing on the big screen sees the famous professor – played by Andrew Keir – called in to investigate when something unexpected is found during the construction of a new tunnel in the London Underground. What unfolds is a story of interplanetary threat unlike any other. Rooted in myth and stretching back into human prehistory, it’s a weighty tale some of whose themes have become all the more relevant with passing time. This British science fiction classic hits harder because of its very ordinary setting and because the darkness at its heart is all too familiar.
The Old Man And The Gun, 7pm, Film4, Wednesday, February 8
He's done a bit of voice work since but Robert Redford has more or less stuck to his assertion that this would most likely be his final film role. If it was, he certainly goes out on a high with this low-key crime charmer. He plays Forrest Tucker - a character based on a real-life ageing bank thief who hit the headlines after pulling off a series of unfailingly polite bank robberies. Writer/director David Lowery has always had an interest in mortality and legacy and it's in evidence again here, while he also nods to the breadth and depth of Redford's own career. The whole thing is topped off by lovely supporting performances from the likes of Sissy Spacek and Danny Glover.
The Lighthouse, 9pm, Film4, Wednesday, February 8
If you're looking for an arthouse take on the horror genre, then check out this trippy, black and white offering from Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson play two lighthouse keepers - one a long-term resident on the rocky island where it sits, the other its new arrival ready for a four-week assignment. Eggers' film is possibly a little overlong at almost two hours but as the isolation starts to bite and Dafoe gets to lean into the sheer weirdness of it all, there's plenty to enjoy as the men's moods darken and the fog of madness blooms in the gloom.
High-Rise, 1.05am, Film4, Saturday, Wednesday, February 10
Your mileage may well vary as far as this adaptation of JG Ballard's book about class war in a tower block goes - we have two reviews on this site that offer 2.5 and 4.5-star perspectives - but there's no doubt it's got a great look thanks to cinematographer Laurie Rose. Tom Hiddleston also puts in a compelling central performance as one of the denizens that lives in the centre of the building, above the families but below the upper echelons. Whether you decide the montage use and drama arc as sanity in the block starts to be lost is enjoyably chaotic or simply a bit messy, there's no denying its ambition. Luke Evans is also a stand-out in support.
Submarine, 1.55am, Film 4, Monday, February 13
Richard Ayoade may be better known for his appearances in front of the camera rather than behind them, but his debut is a coming-of-age treat. It stars Craig Roberts (in his big screen debut) as Oliver, a 15-year-old Welsh kid grappling with the sorts of issues that dogged that other teen classic, Adrian Mole, a few decades before - although Oliver is a lot smarter than Ade. With his parents' (Sarah Hawkins, Noah Taylor) marriage disintegrating as his feelings for fellow teen Jordana (Yasmin Paige) growing by the day, the stage is set for a run through familiar teen themes, but Ayoade - whose film buff credentials are on display in his nods to a raft of films and styles, including the French New Wave, Bergman and a whole lot more - injects the whole thing with a breezy breath of fresh air, while keeping the focus firmly on the characters at its heart. Read our interview with Richard Ayoade.
We've not had a short selection for a couple of weeks because of the time constraints of Sundance, but it's back! This week, we recommend you nip over to filmmaker Kate Burton's site and watch Ever Here I Be, which features Tuppence Middleton in an early role.
