10 telly films
Don Verdean Sky Cinema Premiere, 1.25pm, Sunday
Sam Rockwell stars as Don Verdean, a ‘biblical archaeologist’ who specialises in finding religious relics.
A somewhat toothless satire – Verdean appears to be driven by a need to save souls rather than fleece congregations – but with a cast so packed with comedy ringers, it has its moments.
Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb
Channel 4, 7pm, Sunday
Security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) heads for London to restore the magical Tablet of Ahkmenrah’s lustre.
The third film in the series milks our affection for the characters. It’s nothing innovative, but good humour and sweetness prevail.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
ITV, 7.30pm, Sunday
The penultimate film in the saga finds Harry, Ron and Hermione facing the renewed threat from the nefarious Lord Voldemort and his followers, who continue to grow in power.
David Yates, who directed the Half-Blood Prince, strikes an even darker, gloomier tone here.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
ITV2, 8pm, Sunday
An intelligent and sophisticated romantic comedy, boasting pithy dialogue and exemplary performances from an ensemble cast.
As an added bonus, Ryan Gosling’s screen chemistry with Emma Stone is electric – no wonder they were later reunited for La La Land.
All Is Lost
Film4, 9pm, Monday
Written and directed by JC Chandor, All Is Lost is a lean, nail-biting survival drama that touches on themes of solitude, mortality and the indomitability of the human spirit.
Robert Redford has been burning bright on the big screen for more than 50 years and here, he delivers a mesmerising solo performance.
Lone Survivor
Film4, 9pm, Tuesday
Based on a true story, Lone Survivor is a rousing tribute to four Navy SEALs portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster, who are sent on a top-secret mission to find a high-ranking member of the Taliban (Yousuf Azami).
An adrenaline-fuelled final 30 minutes will have you wincing in horror.
Out Of The Furnace
Film4, 11.20pm, Tuesday
Crippled by gambling debts, Rodney Baze (Casey Affleck) vanishes after taking a dive during a lucrative bare-knuckle brawl.
Russell (Christian Bale) risks everything to seek justice for his missing sibling. A slow-burning and sporadically violent revenge thriller.
Riddick
Film4, 9pm, Thursday
Hulking killing machine Riddick (Vin Diesel) is left for dead on a sun-scorched planet awash with alien predators.
Diesel reprises his role as the visually impaired “zulu warlock” with unabashed gusto, flinging himself into action sequences which punctuate an unremarkable storyline.
The Fifth Element
5STAR, 9pm, Friday
Bruce Willis stars in one of the most visually stunning sci-fi films of the 1990s.
In Our Name
BBC2, 11.05pm, Friday
Emotional scars borne by soldiers are dealt with sensitively in Brian Welsh’s directorial debut.