A very underrated sci-fi thriller movie is on TV tonight

The star-studded 2015 film is an adaptation of a classic novel.

Directed by Ben Wheatley (Free Fire, Kill List), the film is set in 1975 and follows Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager), a doctor who moves into a 40-storey luxury high-rise tower block on the outskirts of London.

Built by the esteemed architect Anthony Royal (Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers), the tower is considered the epitome of chic. It boasts many amenities, including a pool, gym, spa, supermarket, and primary school.

While this sounds great, it causes the occupants to have little reason to leave the building beyond working hours. As such, they become increasingly isolated from the outside world.

It isn't long before class warfare and rising tensions escalate between residents, and violence and debauchery become commonplace.

High-Rise's ensemble cast also includes Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), James Purefoy (Altered Carbon), Keeley Hawes (The Assassin), Luke Evans (The Hobbit), Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9) and Sienna Guillory (Fortitude).

The movie proved divisive with critics and wasn't a big box office hit, something which is probably down to its very dark and increasingly surreal plot.

That said, High Rise's great performances, its gorgeous visuals and its darkly comic critique of capitalism make it a must-watch for cinema enthusiasts, particularly those who love films that straddle the line between arthouse and genre.

High-Rise is airing on TV tonight/tomorrow morning on Channel 4 at 1am. It will also be available to stream on the station's website from Thursday, 5 February.

High-Rise Trailer

Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:

Fast & Furious 9 - RTÉ2 - 9pm

The one with John Cena as the bad guy.

Eye in the Sky - Sky Max - 9pm

Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul and the late, great Alan Rickman headline this acclaimed 2015 war thriller centred around the use of a drone strike in a populated area.

You Only Live Twice - ITV4 - 9pm

Notable for having its screenplay penned by Roald Dahl, You Only Live Twice is the fifth Bond movie with Sean Connery.

Beau is Afraid - Film4 - 9pm

This three-hour-long surrealist and stressful tragicomedy stars Joaquin Phoenix as a mild-mannered but paranoia-ridden man who embarks on a dangerous odyssey to get to the home of his mother (Patti LuPone), who has just died.

Metro - Legend - 9pm

Eddie Murphy stars in this ’90s action comedy as a San Francisco cop who seeks revenge against a vicious jewel thief (Michael Wincott) who murdered his best friend.

3 Days to Kill - Legend Xtra - 9pm

Kevin Costner is the lead of this action thriller, playing a dying CIA agent trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

He is offered an experimental drug that could save his life, but only in exchange for one last assignment.

The Last Son - Legend - 11.15pm

Sam Worthington (the Avatar trilogy) stars in this Western as a murderous outlaw who learns he is cursed by a prophecy: one of his children will kill him.

To prevent this, he hunts down each of his estranged children, including his long-lost son (rapper Machine Gun Kelly).

Till - BBC Two - 11.30pm

This acclaimed 2022 drama is based on the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler), an educator and activist who relentlessly pursued justice for her 14-year-old son Emmett (Jalyn Hall) after his murder in Mississippi in 1955.

Public Enemies - Film4 - 12.40am

Johnny Depp is bank robber John Dillinger, while Christian Bale is the agent of the newly formed FBI on his tail.

A flawed but very cool crime drama from director Michael Mann (Heat, Miami Vice).

Turn your home into a cinema with this projector 

Do you love movies? Have you ever dreamt of turning your home into your own cinema?

If so, then you may be interested in a home theatre projector we spotted on sale on Amazon with “impressive quality”.

The 4K projector has the likes of YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video built-in, so you can access thousands of films and shows without an additional TV stick, and you can also connect it to Bluetooth on your phone and laptop.

It’s currently priced from €36.99 on the Amazon website.

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