TV FILMS OF THE WEEK

1

SPECTRE Tonight, ITV, 8.30pm

THE newly appointed M (Ralph Fiennes) is battling political forces, including Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), to protect the integrity of MI6 following a merger with MI5. When a cryptic message reveals ghosts from Bond’s past 007 (Daniel Craig) follows a chain of evidence that leads to Dr Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), daughter of fugitive Mr White (Jesper Christensen). Aided by technical wizard Q (Ben Whishaw) and plucky agent Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Bond criss-crosses the globe and infiltrates a menacing organisation named SPECTRE, fronted by the enigmatic Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz).

2

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US Tomorrow, Channel 4, 9pm

BAD weather over Salt Lake City sees commercial flights grounded. Alex Martin (Kate Winslet, left) needs to be in New York the next day so charters a two-person plane and offers the second seat to Dr Ben Bass (Idris Elba). When the pilot (Beau Bridges) suffers a stroke, the plane comes down in the High Uintas Wilderness. Alex and Ben soon realise that the pilot didn’t log a flight plan so they are alone...

3

12 YEARS A SLAVE Monday, Film4, 9pm

SOLOMON NORTHUP (Chiwetel Ejiofor, pictured) lives with his family in 1841 Washington City. After a meeting with two seemingly respectable gentlemen, he is sold into slavery. Fate delivers Solomon to sadistic Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), who spites his unfeeling wife (Sarah Paulson) by taking a shine to a slave girl (Lupita Nyong’o), and Solomon is caught in the crossfire.

4

FATAL ATTRACTION Tuesday, 5STAR, 11.45pm

HAPPILY married Manhattan lawyer Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) has a weekend fling with sexy advertising executive Alex Forrest (Glenn Close, pictured with Douglas). However, she turns out to be psychotic and proceeds to make his and his family’s life a living hell. Director Adrian Lyne’s suspense-filled thriller holds the attention, despite veering wildly out of control in the third act.

5

2 GUNS Wednesday, Film4, 11.20pm

DRUG enforcement agent Bobby Trent (Denzel Washington, pictured) and navy officer Michael ‘Stig’ Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) work undercover to infiltrate a drug cartel – but neither of them know that the other is also working undercover. When their identities are discovered, Bobby and Stig fall out. Going alone doesn’t yield results however, so the pair work together to bring the cartel down.

6

HIGH-RISE Thursday, Film4, 11.15pm

THIS adaptation of JG Ballard’s 1975 novel sees Dr Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston, left) move into the 25th floor of a tower block. He is granted a private audience with the building’s architect, Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons), who lives in the penthouse with his emotionally brittle wife (Keeley Hawes) but power outages to the lower floors, stoke resentment, eventually sparking a civil war.

7

ONE FINE DAY

Friday, Sony Movies, 6.50pm

MELANIE PARKER (Michelle Pfeiffer, pictured) and Jack Taylor (George Clooney) are over-worked professionals thrown together when their children miss a school trip. One thing leads to another and before you know it, the floppy-haired moppets are acting as Cupids for their hapless parents. It may lack the frisson of Clooney’s later outing Out of Sight, but the two stars manage to carry it through.