10 films worth watching on TV this week

Nightcrawler   Sat   5/1   RTE2 @ 21.15

Jake Gyllenhall gives a career best performance in this dark and intense tale of a desperate crime journalist willing to go outside the law to further his career prospects. This is gripping and compulsive viewing but Gyllenhall's character is so seedy and creepy that you'll need a shower afterwards. Strong back up from Rene Russo and Riz Ahmed too. This film will put you off ever going to Los Angeles.

I, Daniel Blake   Sat   5/1   BBC2 @ 21.45

After a health scare issue prevents him from working, Daniel finds himself tied up in the red tape of the UK benefits system. A system designed to rip the humanity away from a person. Ken Loach's 2016 drama is a maddening, upsetting, nightmarish watch but one filled with humour and a deep humanity too. A horribly believable watch. Dave Johns & Hayley Squires are excellent.

Mash   Sun   6/1   RTE1 @ 00.10

The film that spawned the long running TV show is a far darker affair than you'd remember, following the people manning a Korean war field hospital and the things they get up to to help them cope with the horror all around them. Robert Altman's sprawling war tragi-comedy is still a blistering watch 49 years after it was made. Chock full of ultra black humour and superb performances from Elliot Gould, Sally Kellerman & Tom Skerrit amongst others.

It Follows   Sun   6/1   Film4 @ 01.20

Jay finds herself being followed by something odd after she spends the night with her boyfriend. To say anymore would ruin a very entertaining and original horror film that takes a ridiculous premise and turns it into a story that's tense, darkly funny and flat out terrifying in places. Director David Robert Mitchell is obviously a John Carpenter fan too but that's no bad thing. Maika Monroe as Jay is a fine lead.

Girlhood   Mon   7/1   Film4 @ 01.30

Marieme lives in ghetto near Paris. Prospects are slim and she faces a life of poverty. As a means of escape she joins a gang but soon realises that's no way to live either. Not surprisingly Céline Sciamma's film is a tough watch but it's one that feels genuine and lived in while tearing down viewers ideas of how gang members should act. Karidja Touré as Marieme is fantastic.

Sudden Death   Tues   8/1   ITV4 @ 22.00


Darren McCord is a security guard working in an ice hockey rink and a man haunted by his past. When a game night is taken over by terrorists he has a chance to redeem himself. A very enjoyable watch that manages to hit all the action beats you'd expect while simultaneously ripping the piss out of the genre. Jean Claude Van Damme is fun in the lead and Powers Boothe is a deadly boo hiss bad guy.

The Corruptor   Wed   9/1   TCM @ 22.55

A rookie cop is teamed up with a veteran detective to investigate crime in Chinatown and of course all is not what it seems. Of course. This blisteringly violent action thriller from 1999 is a fun watch. Yes it's full of the cliches you'd expect but it's all done with such energy that it's very easy to forgive it's shortcomings. Mark Wahlberg is an ok lead but Chow Yun Fat steals the show with ease.

Win Win   Thur   10/1   CH4 @ 01.05

A solicitor who makes extra money as a wrestling coach finds the sins of his past coming back to haunt him when he comes into contact with a client's grandchild. This Tom McCarthy directed film is a lovely, touching and painfully real film that for some reason is being shown at ridiculous o'clock. It's worth recording. Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale and Melanie Lynskey are all great.

John Wick   Fri   11/1   Virgin Media One @ 21.00

John Wick is a legend, a myth, an underworld assassin feared by every criminal around. His life has been threatened. He's suffered a heavy loss. He's miffed and there will be blood. A lot of blood. This 2014 thriller is ridiculously entertaining. It's silly and it knows it and has a massive amount of fun showing how much it doesn't care. Keanu Reeves is a joy as the eponymous "hero" and after this you'll want to watch part 2 straight away.

Ginger Snaps   Fri   11/1   The Horror Channel @ 22.45

Brigitte and Ginger are two teenage sisters who share a morbid curiosity with death. This curiosity explodes when Ginger is bitten by a strange dog and starts acting...differently. This women led take on the old tale of lycanthropy is a very entertaining watch. Ya, it's packed full of gore and queasy moments but it's also laced with dark humour and metaphorical meaning. Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle are perfect as the main characters.