At the Movies for 25 September 2024

Simon Morris sees plenty of things in common among this week's films - horror, middle-aged women, French directors - in The substance, Iris and the men and Never let go. Is it a reflection of the times we live in, or completely random? In other words, is it a trend or just a coincidence? The substance is a Cannes Film Festival winner, starring Demi Moore as an aging film-star who takes a potion that turns her into a younger version (Margaret Qualley). But youth comes at a horrifying price. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. Iris and the men sees French favourite Laure Calamy (Antoinette dans les Cévennes) return in a hit from the recent French Film Festival. When her husband seems to ignore her, Iris has an answer - a dating app for dissatisfied marrieds. Suddenly it's raining men! Written and directed by Antoinette's Caroline Vignal. Never let go is set in a dystopian future where a mother (Halle Berry) and her two young sons are under threat from a mysterious entity in the woods. Their only protection are the ropes attached to their cabin. Never let go. Directed by Alexandre Aja (Crawl).