One of the most controversial films of the decade is among the movies on TV tonight

Simon Kelly

It definitely would have been banned in Ireland 30 years ago.

The weekend is nearly over but there’s still time to catch a few movies on TV tonight.

Luckily there’s a varied selection of flicks on later, some great, others not so great. Despite the mixed quality of tonight’s offerings, there’s no doubt something for everyone. So take a look below and get watching!

The Greatest Showman – FilmFour – 7pm

Hugh Jackman sings and dances his way through this musical biopic about famed circus entertainer P.T Barnum

Irresistible – RTÉ Two – 9pm

Political comedy directed by Jon Stewart and starring Steve Carrell as a Democratic strategist who tries to help a candidate win a local election in a small right-wing town. With a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score, it does not live up to the names attached.

It Follows – HorrorXtra – 9pm

One of the most inventive and fun horrors of the past decade sees a young woman (Maika Monroe) pursued by a supernatural entity which can be sexually transmitted.

Con Air – FilmFour – 9pm

Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich star in this action thriller classic about a prison break on board a prisoner transportation airplane. Worth it for Nic Cage’s flowing locks alone.

Passenger 57 – ITV4 – 9.05pm

The movie which made Wesley Snipes an action movie icon sees the Blade star play a security consultant who gets caught up in a terrorist attack on board a commercial flight.

Michael Collins – RTÉ One – 9.30pm

Julia Roberts’ out of control accent aside, there is no doubt Neil Jordan’s 1996 drama about the heroic freedom fighter is one of the best Irish films ever made.

Mission: Impossible – E4 – 10.05pm

If you’re still on a buzz from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, then now is a great time to watch the movie that started it all. And why not test your knowledge while you’re at it?

For a Few Dollars More – BBC Two – 10.20pm

Clint Eastwood. Sergio Leone. Spaghetti Western. Nothing else needs to be said.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – ITV4 – 10.50pm

The second showing of the Dollars movies on TV tonight and the final in the trilogy, starring Clint Eastwood as “the Good”, Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad”, and Eli Wallach as “the Ugly”.

Weekend at Bernie’s – Virgin Media One – 11pm

More people have probably seen the many, many nods to the movie in other media than the actual movie itself and it’s probably better off that way.

Benedetta – FilmFour – 11.15pm

Our pick of the movies on TV tonight comes from a director who is no stranger to controversy: Paul Verhoeven. The man behind Basic Instinct and Showgirls (the latter of which was banned in Ireland upon its release 30 years ago) once again entered the realm of racy dramas in 2021 to helm this French language flick about a 17th century nun who joins an Italian convent and has a lesbian love affair with another nun.

Regarded as blasphemous in some religious circles, the film was subject to a number of protests by Catholic groups in the US and it was also banned in Singapore and Russia.

But, if we are to acknowledged how far Ireland has come in the last few decades, Benedetta is was released in the country last year to little pushback and you’re free to watch this well-made pychological drama from the comfort of your couch tonight.

Terminator Salvation – Channel 4 – 12am

It’s really not a very good addition to the Terminator franchise, but at least it tries to be a bit different and maybe that’s worth a watch. Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard and the late, great Anton Yelchin star.