FILM PICKS

MONDAY

Taken (2008) (ITV4, 9pm)

At the time, Liam Neeson seemed an unlikely choice for leading man in this fast-paced jaunt through the French capital, but he proved himself to be a charismatic and convincing action hero and launched a new phase in his career. He stars as a merciless avenger who will stop at nothing to rescue his daughter from the clutches of sex traffickers. The boulevards of Paris are littered with dead bodies by the time the end credits roll as the invincible hero relentlessly pursues his quarry, snapping arms as if they were dry twigs.

WEDNESDAY

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) (Film4, 11.10pm)

Twelve years have passed since the ALZ-113 virus ravaged the globe. Caesar (Andy Serkis), his wife Cornelia (Judy Greer) and their sons are living in exile in the woods with the rest of the apes. Under the cover of darkness, Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson) and his sharp-shooting soldiers stage an assault on the ape stronghold and kill most of Caesar’s family. The grief-stricken leader orders the survivors to flee in search of a new home while he exacts revenge on the Colonel. War for the Planet of the Apes is a fitting conclusion to the rebooted sci-fi franchise, orchestrating a cataclysmic showdown between the last remnants of mankind and genetically enhanced primates. Serkis delivers a tour-de-force portrayal of a leader gnarled by the desire for revenge.

THURSDAY Suspicion (1941) (BBC4, 9pm)

Alfred Hitchcock brings out Cary Grant’s dark side in this masterful thriller. Shy Lina (an Oscar-winning Joan Fontaine, who, believe it or not, was the only person to pick up an Academy Award for a performance in a Hitchcock film) comes from a wealthy family and is swept off her feet by handsome playboy Johnny (Grant). It’s only after she marries him that she discovers he’s a penniless habitual liar with a gambling habit. However, that becomes the least of her problems when she grows increasingly afraid that Johnny is planning to murder her. Despite Hitchcock’s reported dissatisfaction with the ending, this remains a compelling watch.

FRIDAY

Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) (C5, 11pm)

Bridget (Renee Zellweger) careens at high speed towards her 43rd birthday without a wedding ring on her finger. Then a late-night blunder into the wrong yurt at a festival leads to a spontaneous coupling with a handsome American love guru called Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey). A few days later, Bridget is powerless to resist the silky charms of old flame Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). A pregnancy test confirms Bridget is about to become a mum, if only she knew who the father was ... Bridget Jones’s Baby throws a warm and frequently hilarious baby shower for characters we’ve grown to love, and proves Bridget is no closer to achieving her Happy Ever After.