The best films on the box this week
FRIDAY PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (2016) (Film4, 9pm) Premiere
MR Bennet (Charles Dance) teaches daughters Elizabeth (Lily James), Jane (Bella Heathcote), Lydia (Ellie Bamber), Kitty (Suki Waterhouse) and Mary (Millie Brady) martial arts to survive in an era of marauding zombies – but the girls’ mother Mrs Bennet (Sally Phillips) is more concerned with finding them wealthy husbands. Adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith’s parody novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies puts a gruesome twist on Jane Austen’s much-loved tale.
SATURDAY BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) (Film4, 6.45pm)
THE first chapter in director Robert Zemeckis’s trilogy introduces us to Michael J Fox as teenager Marty McFly, who travels back in time courtesy of Dr Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and his DeLorean time machine, and comes face to face with his own parents in 1950s America. But when the woman who is destined to become his mother becomes attracted to Marty, his entire future is placed in jeopardy.
SUNDAY SPECTRE (2015) (ITV2, 9pm)
THE most recent Bond adventure sees the newly appointed M (Ralph Fiennes) battling hostile political forces, while 007 (Daniel Craig) criss-crosses the globe and infiltrates a menacing organisation named SPECTRE, fronted by the enigmatic Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz). Spectre is a robust tale of espionage and dark family secrets, although it can’t quite live up to its opening at a Mexican Day of the Dead parade.
MONDAY Z FOR ZACHARIAH (2015) (BBC Two, 10.30pm) Premiere
THIS sci-fi drama is set in the wake of a nuclear apocalypse and stars Margot Robbie as Ann, who lives alone on her family’s farm, which miraculously survived the devastation. She believes she might be the only person left alive until the stricken John (Chiwetel Ejiofor) turns up. Ann nurses him back to health and together they work to improve the farm – but their new life is threatened by the arrival of a third survivor, Caleb (Chris Pine).
TUESDAY BRIDESMAIDS (2011) (ITV2, 9pm)
ANNIE (Kristen Wiig) used to own a bakery but she has fallen on hard times and now works as a saleswoman. Best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) reveals she is getting married and asks Annie to be maid of honour. Organising a bridal shower to remember will be tricky for penniless Annie, especially since one of the bridesmaids is socialite Helen (Rose Byrne), who splashes cash as if it is going out of fashion. Fellow bridesmaids Megan (Melissa McCarthy), Becca (Ellie Kemper) and Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey) observe the fallout as Annie and Helen vie for Lillian’s affections in this hilarious and touching comedy.
WEDNESDAY DIE HARD (1988) (Film4, 9pm)
NEW York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) attempts to build bridges with his estranged wife by heading to her high-rise building in Los Angeles – only for a bunch of nasty Euro-crooks to storm the building, take hostages and demand the release of political prisoners. Die Hard remains one of the best action thrillers ever made. Willis is superb as the lone hero, Alan Rickman relishes his role as suave villain Hans Gruber, and John McTiernan’s direction is superb.
THURSDAY LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) (ITV4, 9pm)
JAMES Bond (Roger Moore) travels from the streets of Harlem to the Caribbean to rescue a beautiful clairvoyant, fending off the attentions of a voodoo master, a narcotics baron and a hook-handed henchman. One of Moore’s finest outings as 007, this ticks all the right boxes – the action sequences rival anything Hollywood has put out since.