Our movie guru has turned to streaming to take in some short films this week and tells us what he's planning to see at the cinema.

The one downside of writing a film review column is having a hectic week at work, and not managing to fit in any trips to the cinema. With the column deadline looming faster than a Cabinet resignation letter, I have turned this week to streaming.

If you're short on time, I can recommend nerve shredding The Guilty, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a 911 call operator who's trying to save a caller in grave danger. All is not what it seems initially though, and there are plenty of plot twists along the way to keep us on the edge of our seats. It's apparently a remake of an earlier Danish film, for viewers who can't cope with subtitles (or so the cynic in me says!). Having not seen the original, I can't compare the two, but Gyllenhaal really is fantastic. I'd say it's his best performance since Nightcrawler.

I've enjoyed a few films where the action all takes place in one location, including 2002's Phone Booth with Colin Farrell, and 2013's Locke, starring a stressed Tom Hardy dealing with the consequences of his actions whilst driving in his BMW. It's a really clever form of film making, and with a sharp script & committed performance from the lead actor, can work incredibly well. The Guilty definitely joins my list of recommendations in this genre.

Best of all, it's under the magic duration of 90 minutes. I have a bit of an issue with bloated blockbusters, and it's increasingly rare to find a film that's shorter than two hours at times. The new Black Panther that comes out this week is not far off being three hours long. It may well be worth it, based on early Rotten Tomatoes ratings, but it's a significant time commitment.

It was reported recently that almost a million Brits have cancelled their subscriptions to streaming services, as soaring food and energy prices continue to nibble away at our available spending money. I recently took up an offer of a trial Disney+ subscription for three months, but sadly haven't got round to watching anything yet. Not even the new Pinocchio!

I guess it must be quite a lean time of year for cinema releases, as the only other new film of note coming out this week is Living, which looks like a tour de force for the superb Bill Nighy. I'm taking my wife on a cinema date to watch this one next Tuesday, so I'll have my verdict for you next week.

I'm also planning to watch Barbarian, Watcher, Call Jane and Prey For The Devil. As the pumpkins rot across Tameside and Glossop, I'm keeping the horror vibe going after Halloween with some of these selections! There's even a festive one called Violent Night due to be released on 2 December, which turns Santa into an all-action hero. It's had loads of buzz on social media, and I can't wait to see it. I'll be playing Christmas songs on Tameside Radio to celebrate in a mere three weeks' time too.

E-mail me if you've watched a good short film on streaming services - it's alex.cann@questmedianetwork.co.uk.

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. 

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