The weekend has arrived, and if you’re staying in then there are plenty of great movies airing on TV.
From “masterpiece” Batman movie The Dark Knight to an Aardman animation classic, there’s lots to get stuck into across the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
Here, Digital Spy has rounded-up 7 of the best.
What to Read NextSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The first movie in the animated Marvel series, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse became a huge success upon its release in 2018, grossing nearly $400 million and becoming a critical smash – sitting at a near-perfect 97% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sony Pictures
Called “the best Spider-Man yet” by The Times, the film follows Miles Morales as he becomes the iconic superhero, meeting other Spider-People from alternate universes as they battle the Kingpin.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan’s Shameik Moore, New Girl’s Jake Johnson, Sinners’ Hailee Steinfeld and Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali are among the stars lending their vocal talents.
Airing Saturday at 4.30pm on Film4.
Columbia TriStar//Getty Images
Jumanji
If a bit of 1990s family fun is more your cup of tea, Jumanji is airing around the same time on ITV1 on Saturday afternoon.
The 1995 classic stars Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, who gets stuck in the titular game as a child and must work with two kids to win the game and be freed for good.
Also starring Civil War’s Kirsten Dunst in an early role alongside Toy Story’s Bonnie Hunt and Titanic’s Jonathan Hyde, the movie was called a “touching tale” by the BBC.
Airing Saturday at 4.10pm on ITV1. Available on ITVX afterwards.
Lionsgate
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
This recent meta action comedy features Nicolas Cage as himself, as he’s offered a huge pay day to attend the wedding of a superfan (played by Pedro Pascal), before being recruited by the CIA as he channels his most iconic roles to save himself.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent attracted acclaim from critics, earning an 87% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s consensus calling it “smart, funny, and wildly creative” with a “scene-stealing performance” from Pascal.
Also watch out for performances from Girls Trip’s Tiffany Haddish, Bad Sisters’ Sharon Horgan and The Studio’s Ike Barinholtz.
Airing Saturday at 9pm on Channel 4. Available on Channel 4 afterwards.
Sony Pictures
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
The first movie in the recent rebooted Ghostbusters series, Afterlife follows a new generation as the family of Egon Spengler move to a farm and discover a connection to the original Ghostbusters.
As well as featuring appearances from OG team members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson alongside Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts, the movie introduces new stars Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace to the franchise.
Afterlife received a mixed reception from critics, with Chicago Reader suggesting it “relaunches the franchise with a mostly funny and solid offering”.
Airing Saturday at 10.35pm on BBC One. Available on BBC iPlayer afterwards.
Dreamworks
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit marks the first feature-length Wallace & Gromit movie, and sees the iconic duo face off against a giant bunny amid a local giant vegetable competition.
Released 20 years ago, the movie attracted huge acclaim with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, with The Independent suggesting it may be “plasticine’s finest hour”.
Be sure to also listen out for the vocal talents of Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes, The Crown’s Helena Bonham Carter and comedian Peter Kay.
Airing Sunday at 2.15pm on BBC One. Available on BBC iPlayer afterwards.
Warner Bros.
The Dark Knight
The second of Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies (and arguably the best) sees the Caped Crusader face off against the anarchic and formidable villain the Joker – the latter played by Heath Ledger in a posthumous Oscar-winning performance.
The Dark Knight was called a “masterpiece” by ComicBookMovie.com, who suggested it was “not only one of the greatest comic book movies you’ll ever see, but also one of the best films of all-time”.
Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman return from previous movie Batman Begins, while Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal join the cast as Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes respectively.
Airing Sunday at 10.20pm on ITV1. Available on ITVX afterwards.
Skydance//Paramount
Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise’s hugely anticipated Top Gun sequel proved a huge success when it was released in 2022, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of the year after earning nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office.
Maverick follows the titular Pete Mitchell as he’s forced to reckon with his past while training a new generation of Top Gun pilots.
Also starring Twisters’ Glen Powell, Whiplash’s Miles Teller and Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly, the movie sits at a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% fresh, with Chicago Reader suggesting it sets a “new standard in the era of reboots”.
Airing Sunday at 9pm on Film4.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.