Stay on the couch.
It’s cold outside and the Christmas blur has you confused as to what day of the week it is. Monday, if you can process that difficult information. But this is no ordinary Monday, now is it?
Why, it’s Stephen’s Day, of course. Maybe you’re out there looking for a bargain. Perhaps you’re planning a big night out on the town, away from family drama and depressing leftovers.
Or maybe you’re staying put for the day. If that’s the case, let’s list the 15 best films on the box…
Into the West – TG4 – 4.45pm
Revered Irish drama in which two boys living in a Dublin tower block leave their lives behind and embark on an epic journey with a magical horse.
The Magnificent Seven – BBC Two – 5.30pm
The original, in which an enigmatic loner rounds up a band of gunslingers to help oppressed villagers fend off bandits.
Raiders of the Lost Ark – RTÉ 2 – 5.50pm
Indiana Jones cracks his famous whip for the very first time.
Fast & Furious 8 – ITV2 – 9pm
In which Dominic Toretto is forced to betray those closest to him. A step down from Five, Six, and Seven, but entertaining nonsense all the same.
Wild Rose – RTÉ 2 – 9pm
After being released from prison, Glaswegian singer Rose-Lynn Harlan chases her dreams of being a country music star. Jessie Buckley grabs the spotlight throughout.
1917 – RTÉ One – 9.20pm
Sam Mendes directs this (mostly) shot-in-one-take account of two soldiers tasked with a dangerous mission during World War I. The cinematography is stunning, the performances captivating, the tension at times unbearable.
And while we’re in WWI territory, if you’ve not checked out the recent adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, it’s on Netflix right now and it’s bloody brilliant.
The Notebook – Virgin Media One – 10pm
A tortured love story in which Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams WILL make you cry.
Goodfellas – BBC Two – 10.15pm
Pay your respects to the late Ray Liotta and Paul Sorvino by revisiting Martin Scorsese’s peerless gangster masterpiece.
Spider-Man 3 – Sky Showcase – 10.15pm
Look, it’s an absolute mess but good lord is it fun to laugh at.
Sing Street – TG4 – 10.50pm
Irish musical drama about a gang of school-aged misfits who start a band in a bid to provide the escapism their lives desperately require. A little uneven, but ‘Drive It Like You Stole It’ is a BANGER.
The Fog – Legend – 10.55pm
John Carpenter’s eerie horror still packs a punch. Stay out of the fog!
Rocky Balboa – ITV4 – 11pm
Rocky is lured out of retirement after a video game simulation suggests he could actually dethrone the current heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He couldn’t, could he? Honestly a very respectable entry into the series, and a fine way to cap it off until the excellent Creed came along.
Widows – Film4 – 11.20pm
Star-studded thriller in which a group of widows team up to finish the dangerous heist that killed their husbands.
Seriously, look at this cast – Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Daniel Kaluuya, Robert Duvall, Brian Tyree Henry, Garrett Dillahunt, Carrie Coon, Jacki Weaver, Lukas Haas, and a blink-and-you’ll miss him Jon Bernthal. Outrageous!
Stan & Ollie – RTÉ One – 11.30pm
Biography of Laurel and Hardy, featuring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly.
Bullitt – RTÉ 2 – 12.50am
Steve McQueen at his ice-coolest in this classic thriller.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
