10 telly films
The Equalizer
Channel 5, 9pm, Sunday
Nostalgic memories of Edward Woodward’s refined approach to crime-fighting are blown to smithereens in this big-screen rendering as director Antoine Fuqua seizes every opportunity for wanton carnage.
Widower Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) exacts revenge when a friend ends up battered and bruised.
The Lunchbox
BBC4, 9pm, Sunday
Writer-director Ritesh Batra debuted this tender drama at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim.
Irrfan Khan plays lonely widower Saajan.
Out of the blue, he mistakenly receives a lunchbox filled with delicacies cooked by Ila (Nimrat Kaur). They begin a correspondence that has a profound effect on their lives.
The Hunger Games
E4, 9pm, Monday
Jennifer Lawrence is outstanding as all-action heroine Katniss Everdeen in the first film in the series based on Suzanne Collins’s bestselling trilogy.
Teenagers from 12 futuristic districts must fight to the death in a brutal televised competition.
Woody Harrelson co-stars.
Man On Fire
Film4, 10.50pm, Monday
Based on AJ Quinnell’s novel, Man on Fire is a film in two acts: an engrossing portrait of a broken man finding his way back to life through the eyes of a child; and a brutal revenge thriller.
Both parts are compelling in their own ways, anchored by Denzel Washington’s affecting lead performance.
Die Hard
Film4, 9pm, Tuesday
Jet-lagged cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is the only man who can rescue hostages being held in a high-rise building in Los Angeles.
Nearly 30 years after its release, Die Hard remains one of the best action thrillers ever made.
Willis is superb as the lone, bare-footed hero tackling a suave villain and his cohorts.
Fast & Furious 5
Film4, 11.40pm, Tuesday
Former cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and partner Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) spring her brother Dominic (Vin Diesel) from a prison bus then criss-cross borders, eventually hiding out in Rio.
The fugitives are then double-crossed by drug lord Reyes (Joaquim De Almeida) in this high-octane sequel.
Ida Film4, 11.15pm, Wednesday
Polish-born British director Pawel Pawlikowski, who won a BAFTA for My Summer of Love, films in his homeland for the first time in this emotional 1960s-set drama.
Eighteen-year-old orphan Anna embarks on a heart-wrenching journey to unlock the secrets of her tragic past.
Morning Glory Film4, 6.50pm, Thursday
TV producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) believes Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) is the man to rescue ailing breakfast show, Daybreak.
Morning Glory is a frothy comedy distinguished by a scenery-chewing performance from Ford.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
BBC1, 10.35pm, Friday
Johnny Depp steals the sequel with his flamboyant outbursts.
A Simple Plan
BBC2, 1.05am, Friday
Sam Riami’s thriller is a superb exercise in sustained tension.