Anna Smith

One of the definitive mystery chillers of all time. Poignant, beautiful and devastating.

There’s a lot going on here: you never quite know what Maggie Gyllenhaal is going to throw into the pot next, but it’s always visually exciting and often funny.

The vocal cast are great fun, and the animation is smooth and vibrant. Except for a few treacly songs, this is great entertainment for all.

All cast and crew do an impressive job in making this unlikely proposition such an engaging, thought-provoking and darkly funny watch.

A slick, stylish melodrama with an involving story and a cracking cast. Star Adriana Ugarte is a real find.

It’s quietly absorbing and fitfully shocking as we experience the sights, sounds and smells of the streets where a one-year-old child can wander around alone without anyone stopping to wonder why.

A startling movie, I Am Not a Witch is many things. It’s a magic realist fable set in present-day Zambia that has plenty to say about gender and superstition. It’s also a satire, a tragedy and a comedy. And, impressively, debut writer-director Rungano Nyoni makes this heady mix work.

At 134 minutes, the film may seem challengingly long, but the strength of its ensemble cast and unusually evolving narrative results in a satisfying watch that’s reminiscent of tucking in with an engrossing book.

Diop tackles serious issues in the framework of a touching and romantic drama with intriguing sways into genre territory, leaving the viewer much like Ada: a little confused, but oddly bewitched.

It would have been great to have seen even more myth-busting around weight and health in this doc (presumably that’s covered in her book ‘What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat’), but Gordon is a funny and frank subject: a tour of her vintage diet book collection is a treat.

It’s a fun setup with a rousing finale that broadly compensates for a baggy middle section (at two hours, the film seems a little too long).

Kreutzer has her own style of revisionist feminist history, and aided by Krieps’s bold and brilliant turn, it’s riveting stuff.

It's overlong, but with its gorgeous cast, irreverent humour and beautifully drawn characters, this smart comedy-drama is the kind of movie Couples Retreat and Grown Ups should have been. Please, nobody let Adam Sandler anywhere near a remake.

Well-crafted and compelling, if a little inaccessible to western audiences...

The tension dips occasionally but stick with it and you'l be richly rewarded.

Late director Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter) beautifully captures her personality and her passion for creativity.

Cute, comical kids help make this ballroom dancing comp-romp a feelgood winner despite inexpert editing.

A witty, warm exploration of family life that's conventional and unconventional in equal measure.

Alice Guy-Blaché was the first female filmmaker yet criminally overlooked by history – something Pamela B. Green sets out to correct in this educational and entertaining film.

This is a film equally grounded in realism and empathy, and a reminder that no two people have the same story.

By leaning into those relatable complexities, Causeway will offer plenty for fans of thoughtful, quality dramas that touch on humanity, trauma, connection and the kindness of strangers.

Moving, bold, unconventional and impeccably staged, The Arbor is a worthy tribute to a powerfully artistic voice.

If the storytelling sometimes feels straightforward, it’s more than merited by its captivating story and powerful message.

Director Jung Byung-gil (‘Confessions of Murder’) combines a familiar but fun story with slick combat action, whether it’s in dark streets, seedy clubs or underwater.

A tough but very rewarding watch.

Though infuriatingly difficult to categorise, the film is bold, inventive, stimulating and extremely entertaining.

The young Aprile is a standout in a moving, hard-hitting and surprising adaptation of the Henry James novel.

An insight-filled take on prejudice in post-11/7 London that packs a hefty punch.