One of the best thriller movies of this decade is on TV tonight

The film also has one of the best final scenes in recent memory.

The film is based on the William Lindsay Gresham novel of the same name, which was previously made into another great noir in the 1940s starring Tyrone Power.

This new version of the story, however, sees Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born) play the charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle, who gets a job working at a travelling carnival in the '40s.

Becoming skilled at performing as a mentalist, Stanton eventually ditches the carnival with his kind wife, Molly (Rooney Mara, Carol), and uses his newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of New York society.

As his ambitions grow, he sets out to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water) with the help of a mysterious psychiatrist named Dr Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett, Tár).

It's the latter, though, who might wind up being Stanton's "most formidable opponent yet".

Nightmare Alley boasts a large ensemble cast that also includes David Strathairn (The River Wild), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), Mary Steenburgen (Elf), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Toni Collette (Hereditary) and Willem Dafoe (Nosferatu).

Thanks to its tremendous period production design, its dark and foreboding twist on the notion of the American dream and its knockout final scene that puts a perfectly twisted bow on everything that came before, the movie was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture.

Holding an 80% Rotten Tomatoes score, Nightmare Alley is airing on TV tonight on Film4 at 11.10pm.

It is also currently streaming on Disney+ and Prime Video, although it will be leaving Prime Video in 10 days.

On top of this, the movie will be available to watch on Channel 4's website from Sunday, 21 December.

Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:

The Menu - Film4 - 9pm

This very fun thriller from some of the team behind the TV hit Succession follows a young couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) who travel to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant.

The chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu that includes some shocking surprises…

The Lost Boys - MTV - 9pm

After moving to a new town in California, two brothers (Jason Patric and Corey Haim) discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

Directed by Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, Falling Down), this comedy-horror is one of the most stylish and iconic vampire flicks ever made and features an ensemble cast of young ’80s stars.

White Chicks - Comedy Central - 9pm

Shawn and Marlon Wayans star as two FBI agents who go undercover as – you guessed it – white chicks.

Vertical Limit - Legend - 9pm

Starring Chris O'Donnell, this 2000 survival thriller follows a rescue attempt on K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, after a team of climbers becomes trapped in a crevasse.

Kiss of the Dragon - Legend Xtra - 9pm

Bridget Fonda and Jet Li headline this 2001 action flick about a Chinese police officer sent to Paris to assist with an arrest, who winds up framed for murder.

There's Something in the Barn - Sky Sci-fi - 9pm

In this 2023 horror comedy, an American father (Martin Starr) fulfils his dream of moving himself and his family back to their ancestral farm in the mountains of Norway, where a surprise awaits them...

Die Hard - Channel 4 - 9.10pm

It's definitely a Christmas movie.

Herself - RTÉ2 - 9.10pm

This Irish drama has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and focuses on a single mother (Kin’s Clare Dunne, who also co-wrote the screenplay) who decides to build a house for her family.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Sky Showcase - 9.10pm

John Candy and Steve Martin star in one of the most beloved comedies and road-trip movies of all time.

The Da Vinci Code - TG4 - 9.45pm

Dan Brown's smash hit conspiracy thriller novel gets the big screen treatment courtesy of director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks.

Rocky Balboa / The Expendables - ITV4 - 10.30pm / 12.35am

A Sylvester Stallone double bill.

Bad Santa - Comedy Central - 11.10pm

Billy Bob Thornton plays a very bad department store Santa Claus in this modern classic black comedy.

Looper - Legend - 11.25pm

This inventive time travel flick stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as a hitman, who is tasked with killing his future self.

The older version of the assassin is played by Bruce Willis in a great performance.

Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut - Channel 4 - 11.50pm

This Vietnam War-set thriller epic - which we recently recommended - remains one of the greatest films ever made.

Dublin Crust - RTÉ2 - 12am

This 2023 Irish film follows a Dublin drummer named Bonehead (played by writer-director Baz Black) who has just been released from prison and sets out to reunite his old punk band, Crust.

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 at €53.52 in a limited-time deal on the Amazon website.

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it.