The weekend is finally here.
While it’s quite bright and shiny out there on this spring day, it’s also bitterly cold, and Met Éireann has warned us that the snow and ice will be starting up again before long.
With that in mind, we’re fairly sure that some of you will be spending your days off relaxing on the couch.
To help facilitate this state of weekend zen, we’ve put together a list of the best movies on TV tonight (9 March).
Mickybo & Me – TG4 – 22:15
As political turmoil over the border in Ireland rages on, there’s no better time to revisit this 2004 film about two children in 1970s Northern Ireland, one Catholic, one Protestant.
The Martian – Channel 4 – 21:00
The Martian racked up a tonne of Oscar nominations and with an allstar cast including Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Aksel Hennie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, it’s easy to see why. Follows a stranded Matt Damon trying to survive on Mars.
Southpaw – Channel 4 – 23:45
Jake Gyllenhaal got absolutely ripped to play Billy “The Great” Hope in this film about boxing and redemption. Like Rocky but a bit more gritty and real.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes – E4 – 19:55
Years from now the world will be ruled by super-smart, super-angry apes that hate all of humankind, and this film is where it all starts. Starts off as a sweet story of love between James Franco and an ape, but quickly descends into guerrilla (gorilla?) warfare on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Transporter – E4 – 22:00
You know exactly what you’re getting with The Transporter films. Jason Statham doing his Jason Statham thing and kicking the shit out of everyone he meets. Also, driving.
The Departed – UTV – 22:40
One of the finest ensemble casts ever assembled. Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin come together to play out one of the twistiest, turniest gangster tales ever, directed by Matrin Scorsese. Properly brilliant.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – ITV2 – 18:50
This is one of The Hobbit films that’s less about a small Martin Freeman having a jolly time and more so about Gandalf being harassed by Sauron in disguise and a very scary CGI dragon. Possibly the darkest film of this trilogy.
Angels & Demons – ITV2 – 22:00
Based on the Dan Brown book of the same name. Absolutely perfect for any conspiracy theorists who feel like stoking up their imaginations. This one concerns a plot in the Vatican and trying to prove the existence of god through anti-matter. It’s got Tom Hanks in it.
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