Ben Travis

Andra Day is excellent as the jazz singer struggling to survive in a hostile world — but the film around her can’t decide exactly what story about Billie Holiday it wants to tell.

Late Night is sharply written and warmly enjoyable, with Kaling and Thompson on endearing form. But a few extra knock-out gags and a clearer focus would really help it in the ratings.

There’s a pleasure to seeing such a starry cast in a slick cinematic thriller. But beyond that, Crime 101 offers little to remember after the closing credits.

For the most part, Caught Stealing is a riotous, rollicking ride studded with New York’s concrete grit — but its sharper edges prove more difficult to endure.

It’s not a classic, but this colourful combination of Halloween and Back To The Future is undeniably a scream.

Despite great performances, stylish filmmaking, and a distinctive personality, Cuckoo emerges as slightly less than the sum of its parts. But it completes the hat-trick on Dan Stevens’ wildest year.

David Lowery’s second Disney reimagining is artfully constructed and full of interesting ideas. But for a film about the energy and imagination of youth, it often feels trapped in its own head.

Freaky Tales never amounts to more than the sum of its parts — but those parts, while uneven, are always high-energy and entertaining.

Its mix of coming-of-age and homecoming stories doesn’t fully gel, but Uncle Frank is a funny and entertaining road movie with likeable performances – just brace for a closing dollop of sentimentality.

A solid shark thriller whose admirable but clunky eco-warnings almost get in the way of a good time. Best when it allows itself to really go in-Seine.

A sort of kiddie creature-feature with a big red heart, Clifford offers solid family fare with moments of throwback charm. Not quite a 12/10 on the WeRateDogs scale, but still a good boy.

The Prom is a loud, proud glitter-ball of a film, and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It stumbles in the second half and the relentless cheer is a little exhausting, but its energy and wit remains infectious.

Pacy thrills are doled out in a solid Sam Raimi-approved pulse-raiser with a few nifty ideas up its sleeve. Shall we try ‘Don’t Smell’ next?

The endearing moments in Kevin Smith’s coming-of-age cinema-fest are weighed down by underwritten comedy. Could have done with being more sweet, less salty.

Sometimes cheap but largely cheerful, this is a fun stocking-filler for horror fans — with plenty of heart to pump all that blood.

Not exactly a world leader in the action movie stakes – but entertaining enough, particularly thanks to Viola Davis. 

Not as funny as you’d hope – and yet the emotional character work pays off, right down to a sweet epilogue. Romcom fans should attend.

It’s comedically uneven and overly distracted by side-characters, but when Clerks III gets to the heart of Dante and Randal’s decades-long friendship it’s enough to assure you that Kevin Smith is still open for business.

Spooky, silly, and sub-90 minutes, Cobweb uses familiar elements to create an inviting, entertaining atmosphere — and when the horrors finally emerge in the final reel, it gives good splatter to boot.

With Clooney and Roberts cranking up the charm, even the creakier elements of Ticket To Paradise are watchable. A warm, witty, welcome escape from reality.

The action is first-class, and Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are having a blast — but with all that hyperactive style and cartoonish violence, you’ll be ready to disembark by its final destination.

It’ll pass the time easily enough for young viewers, but everyone else will wish they were spirited away on a more sophisticated adventure.

There’s a little bit more polish this time, but for all the talented people involved, Let There Be Carnage still has the whiff of a turd in the wind. 

Slickly produced but seriously stupid, Tournament Of Champions won’t exactly have you running for the exits — but your brain cells might not escape the room intact.

The Secrets Of Dumbledore doesn’t quite cast a Potter-like spell — but with solid action and moments of genuine heart, it delivers a little light in the Wizarding World’s darkest hour.

The Michael versus Laurie showdown delivers — but for the most part, Halloween Ends is an unsatisfying closing chapter for this continuity. In trying to grapple with the horror beneath Michael Myers’ mask, it gets lost up its own abyss.

The result is a middle-of-the-table Conjuring universe film — one unlikely to make a dent in horror history, but well-constructed, with moments of inventive imagery, and that continues to cement Akela Cooper as a writer with a clear eye for freaky fun.

A solid action-comedy that proves just how much we’ve missed Cameron Diaz in the last ten years. Next time don’t leave it so long, eh?