It comes from the writer of Aliens and the director of Sin City.
At last, the weekend is here – meaning more time to watch movies.
In keeping with that, here are your film options on the box this Friday night.
Alita: Battle Angel – Film4 – 9pm
Our pick for today is this sci-fi action flick that takes place in the 26th century and follows a deactivated female cyborg (Rosa Salazar) that is revived.
Given the name Alita by the scientist (Christoph Waltz) who discovered her, she struggles to remember her past and embarks on a quest to find out who she is.
Co-written by James Cameron (Aliens, The Terminator) and directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids), this manga adaptation received mixed reviews and did not set the box office alight upon its release in 2019.
That said, Alita: Battle Angel feels destined to become a cult classic thanks to its incredible special effects and action sequences, extremely cool futuristic world and charming central performance from Salazar.
Run All Night – Virgin Media One – 9pm
This decent crime flick stars Liam Neeson as an ex-hitman who must protect his estranged adult son (Joel Kinnaman) from vengeful gangsters.
The Festival – E4 – 9pm
After being dumped by his girlfriend, a young man and his best mate decide to spend three days at an epic music festival.
Directed by Iain Morris, who co-created The Inbetweeners, this comedy also stars Joe Thomas who played Simon in the popular show.
Paul – Comedy Central – 9pm
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg reunited for this comedy about two English comic book lovers and sci-fi enthusiasts traveling across the US who encounter an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) outside Area 51.
Rocky Balboa – ITV4 – 9pm
The sixth film in the Rocky franchise and the final one before the Creed spin-offs.
The Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen – Turner Classic Movies – 9pm
A different cut of one of the best horrors ever made.
To Sir, with Love – Great! Movies Classic – 9pm
This ’60s British drama is about an engineer trainee (the late and great Sidney Poitier) who gets a job teaching a totally undisciplined class at a school in London’s East End.
Blood Diamond – RTÉ2 – 9pm
A fisherman (Djimon Hounsou), a smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio), and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond in this much-loved action-thriller.
Speed Kills – Syfy – 10pm
John Travolta plays a wealthy speedboat racer who leads a double life that lands him in trouble with the law and drug lords.
Not a sci-fi despite the channel it’s airing on, Speed Kills holds a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes so it’s probably best to avoid it.
Chisum – TG4 – 10.35pm
It wouldn’t be Friday if TG4 wasn’t showing a Western. This one stars Hollywood legend John Wayne.
Finding Your Feet – RTÉ One – 10.40pm
Imelda Staunton leads this British romantic comedy as a woman who, after discovering her husband of 40 years is having an affair, seeks refuge with her estranged older sister (Celia Imrie) in a bid to find her feet.
The House of the Devil – Horror Channel – 10.50pm
This excellent ’80s-set slow-burn horror is notable for featuring an early performance from Greta Gerwig.
Shampoo – Great! Movies Classic – 11.10pm
Co-written by and starring Warren Beatty, this ’70s comedy drama follows a Los Angeles hairdresser on Election Day 1968, as he juggles his relationships with several women.
Dark Encounter – Film4 – 11.25pm
In this 2018 sci-fi mystery thriller, mysterious lights appear in the sky one year after the disappearance of a young girl.
Kick-Ass 2 – BBC One – 11.40pm
This violent superhero sequel lacks the charm of the original.
A Nightmare on Elm Street – Turner Classic Movies – 11.45pm
Another horror classic, this one centres around dream demon Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) and the teenager (Heather Langenkamp) he hunts.
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