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Movies & TV

30th May 2024

A very dark gangster thriller movie is on TV tonight

Stephen Porzio

Loosely based on true events, it’s been called ‘Zodiac meets Goodfellas’.

Our TV movie pick for tonight (Thursday, 30 May) is The Iceman, the 2012 gangster thriller starring Michael Shannon as real-life criminal Richard Kuklinski.

Based loosely on Kuklinski’s life, the film depicts him establishing his reputation as a cold-blooded mafia hitman while struggling to keep his violent profession a secret from his wife (Winona Ryder) and children.

Also featuring among its cast a brilliant Chris Evans as a fellow hired killer, along with David Schwimmer, James Franco and Ray Liotta, The Iceman is widely-considered to be less than the sum of its parts – though one critic did call it “Zodiac meets Goodfellas”.

That said, Evans and Shannon’s performances and its very dark story make it well worth seeking out.

The Iceman is airing on TV tonight on Film4 at 11.15pm. It is also available to stream on Channel 4’s website.

Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:

RoboCop – Sky Sci-Fi – 9pm

“Dead or alive, you are coming with me.”

Men in Black: International – Film4 – 9pm

The sci-fi comedy gets the reboot treatment with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.

Last Vegas – Comedy Central – 9pm

Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline star in this comedy that plays out like a mellower version of The Hangover.

The Changeling – Legend Xtra – 9pm

This acclaimed 1980 horror follows an esteemed composer (George C. Scott) who moves into a mansion in a new city that he comes to believe is haunted.

The Inglorious Bastards – Legend – 9pm

The ’70s war flick that inspired the similarly titled Quentin Tarantino masterpiece Inglourious Basterds.

Blazing Saddles – BBC Four – 10pm

The beloved comedy Western from Mel Brooks (The Producers).

The Hunter’s Prayer – Legend – 10.55pm

Avatar’s Sam Worthington plays a conflicted hitman helping a young woman to avenge the death of her family in this 2017 action thriller.

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