If you don’t fancy heading to the cinema over the Bank Holiday weekend to watch either The Devil Wears Prada 2 or chilling horror Hokum, then thankfully there are plenty of viable alternatives on terrestrial TV over the same timeframe.
And with there being an extra day this weekend, we have a bumper edition of our weekly film recommendations article, with the usual number of five being upped to seven this time around. Furthermore, you don’t need any streamers to watch these.
This week, our suggestions range from a BAFTA award-winning war film to a classic sci-fi adventure from the 1980s, with a couple of projects featuring legendary actor Michael Caine thrown in for good measure. So, without further ado, let’s crack on!
Point Break
Fotos International//Getty Images
Kathryn Bigelow may have gotten more awards notice this century with politically-charged thrillers such as The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, but this action movie is considered a high point for the genre in the 1990s. Point Break sees Keanu Reeves play the excellently-named Johnny Utah, an FBI agent who goes undercover to rumble a group of bank robbers, only to develop a complicated relationship with the group’s leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze).
Though only a modest success at the box office, the movie’s reputation has only grown over the years, and now has something of a cult following. If you’ve seen Hot Fuzz, you might spot some of the references, too.
Point Break airs on Saturday 2 May at 11.50pm on BBC One.
ET the Extra-Terrestrial
Universal
Steven Spielberg’s beloved coming-of-age sci-fi tells one of the most heartwarming stories ever put to screen, depicting the friendship between 10-year-old Elliott Taylor (Henry Thomas) and the titular alien (voiced by Pat Welsh).
The action begins with a race of diminutive – but adorable – aliens gathering plant specimens from Earth, only to leave one of their kind behind. The creature meets young Elliott, and so begins a journey that will change their lives forever.
Featuring Dee Wallace and a young Drew Barrymore in supporting roles, Spielberg’s sci-fi became the highest-grossing film of all time upon its release in 1982, and features some of the most indelible images in history. Simply put, a bona fide classic.
ET the Extra-Terrestrial airs on Sunday 3 May at 4pm on ITV1.
1917
E one Entertainment
Sam Mendes’s war film famously used long takes to depict the seemingly never-ending cycle of battle, with George MacKay’s Lance Corporal Will Schofield covering a large expanse in the Western Front during the First World War.
Along with Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), he’s tasked with carrying a message to Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) to call off an attack the following morning, with over a thousand lives being at stake.
Upon its release in 2019, the film was acclaimed by critics, with Roger Deakins’s cinematography being heralded. Mendes won awards for Best Film and Best Director at the 73rd BAFTAs (the film won a further five), while it also took home three Oscars that year.
1917 airs on Sunday 3 May at 10pm on BBC Two.
The Dark Knight
Warner Bros.
Widely considered to be the pinnacle of the superhero genre, Christopher Nolan’s muscular epic – the second instalment in his Batman trilogy – owes as much of a debt to classics of the crime genre such as Heat and The Killing as it does to DC Comics.
The Dark Knight sees Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) face a new menace in the form of the Joker (an Oscar-winning Heath Ledger). Rather than all-out chaos, the villain targets noble district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to bring Gotham City to its knees.
Featuring Gary Oldman and Caine in supporting roles, the film is undoubtedly the high-point of the trilogy, and one of the most acclaimed films of all time. If you’re in a mood for more Gotham-set action, then predecessor Batman Begins is on the previous night.
The Dark Knight airs on Sunday 3 May at 10.25pm on ITV1.
The Kid Who Would Be King
20th Century Fox
A change of pace from Nolan’s brooding crime drama, Joe Cornish’s 2019 gem is a throwback to fantasy films of years gone by, mixing urban drama with mythical tales of Camelot.
The story centres on Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), a 12-year-old boy who accidentally discovers Excalibur, the sword belonging to King Arthur. After wielding it, he is tasked with defeating an evil enchantress who seeks to take over the world.
Featuring Rebecca Ferguson and Patrick Stewart, the fantasy-adventure film was praised by critics upon its release, and currently has an impressive approval rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes from 193 reviews.
The Kid Who Would Be King airs on Monday 4 May at 11.55am on Channel 4.
The Great Escaper
Pathe
The second of our suggestions featuring Caine, this biographical drama was the legendary actor’s final film before his retirement in 2023, and sees him in top form as a war veteran who makes a great journey.
He plays Bernard Jordan, who served in the Royal Navy during World War II. With the 70th anniversary commemorations taking place in France, Bernard makes a daring escape from his nursing home and makes his way to Normandy.
Directed by Oliver Parker and featuring the late Glenda Jackson, The Great Escaper was largely deemed a fitting swansong to Caine’s magnificent career, with The Guardian dubbing it a “wonderful last hurrah” for the pair.
The Great Escaper airs on Monday 4 May at 10pm on BBC Two.
Mud
Everest Entertainment/Kobal/Shutterstock
Jeff Nichols’s gritty coming-of-age film from 2012 saw lead star Matthew McConaughey transition from a romcom heartthrob to a lauded dramatic actor, culminating in an Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club two years later.
Mud sees McConaughey play the titular character, a gruff fugitive who is hiding out on a small island. He is discovered by teenagers Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), but they attempt to help reunite with his love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).
Featuring Sarah Paulson and Michael Shannon in supporting roles, Nichols’s film is notable for blending elements of Southern Gothic folklore into its narrative, and it boasts a near-perfect 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mud airs on Monday 4 May at 11.30pm on BBC Two.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.