This week's television schedule offers a powerful selection of films, from a chilling historical drama about the Nuremberg trials to a sensitive portrayal of music icon Amy Winehouse. We've curated the seven best movies to add to your watchlist.
Nuremberg: A Psychological Battle
Marking over 80 years since the historic event, James Vanderbilt's intense drama "Nuremberg" arrives on Sky Cinema Premiere. The film focuses on the pivotal post-war trials where top-ranking Nazis faced justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The story is told through the eyes of American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, played by Rami Malek. Tasked with assessing the mental state of the defendants, Kelley finds himself locked in a formidable battle of wills with the lead Nazi, Hermann Göring, portrayed by a chillingly smug Russell Crowe. While Michael Shannon delivers a strong performance as US judge Robert Jackson, it is the electrifying head-to-head confrontations between Malek and Crowe that make the film truly compelling. The drama includes a harrowing sequence of actual death camp footage. Catch it on Friday at 12.20pm and 8pm on Sky Cinema Premiere.
Back to Black: A Soulful Portrayal
Over on BBC Two, Sam Taylor-Johnson's biopic "Back to Black" presents the tragic story of Amy Winehouse. Marisa Abela takes on the challenging role of the late, great London singer, delivering not only a sensitive performance but also a vocal impersonation of impressive style and gusto.
The film traces Winehouse's meteoric rise and her struggles with alcoholism and bulimia. The central dramatic thrust comes less from her music and more from her intense, toxic relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O'Connell) and her interactions with family members, including her nan (Lesley Manville) and father Mitch (Eddie Marsan). Tune in on Sunday at 10pm on BBC Two.
More Cinematic Gems to Discover
The weekly selection is rounded out by five other excellent films. On Wednesday, Jacques Tati's "Trafic" brings physical comedy to Talking Pictures TV at 3.30pm, as Monsieur Hulot navigates a gadget-filled trip to a motor show.
Sidney Lumet's classic "Dog Day Afternoon", starring Al Pacino and John Cazale as bungling bank robbers, airs on Sky Cinema Greats on Thursday at 10.55am. Netflix adds a new sun-spangled romance on Friday with "People We Meet on Vacation", based on Emily Henry's novel and starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth.
For documentary lovers, "The Tale of Silyan" on National Geographic (Friday, 10pm) is a moving, folk-tale-infused story about a Macedonian farmer and a stork. Finally, Ken Loach's potentially final film, "The Old Oak", airs on BBC Two on Friday at 11pm, offering a poignant drama about Syrian refugees arriving in a struggling Durham mining village.
This diverse lineup ensures there is a captivating film for every viewer to enjoy from the comfort of their home this week.
