The performances are credible, but set-pieces like the water-cannoning of a procession of burkha-clad protesters are also impeccably judged.

Even when the pixels threaten to overwhelm, Gunn finds refuge in his main characters. There’s plenty to enjoy here.

With a confidence typical of its director, the last line of Inglourious Basterds is, "This might just be my masterpiece." While that may not be true, this is an often dazzling movie that sees QT back on exhilarating form.

Olivier's classic and personalised version of the troubled Prince of Denmark is still highly atmospheric and intriguing.

Unflinching in its eschewal of objectivity, this provides a unique perspective on a notorious case, while correcting some of the impressions about urban black youth the media cravenly peddled in its aftermath.

Both an enthralling examination of a horrific time and an adrenalin-filled thriller full of wry humour.

Engrossing western which inspired a huge genre revivial.

Although this may sometimes appear to be simply a bawdy soap opera, first-time director Prechezer injects such joie de vivre into proceedings that it scarcely matters.

Roald Dahl's immortal, sugar-coated morality play finds Gene Wilder as disturbing and fault-ridden but compelling as the book described. Okay, so its pacing may be slightly off (taking nearly 40 minutes to arrive at the factory gates), but this is still a Golden Ticket if ever there was one.

This slick and sticky horror is the most accomplished treatment of vampire lore since Near Dark.

A sequel confident in what it's about - bigger, better, funnier, without stretching the joke.

Small-scale and slow, The Kindergarten Teacher works best as a showcase for the brilliance of Maggie Gyllenhaal. Adding another complex character to her resume, it’s another reminder she is among the best actors working today.

Unbound by cinematic convention, Raimi unleashed his free-range camera, and ghoulish, omnipresent sound effects to create a bleak, paranoid atmosphere and a raft of sudden, effective shocks.

Anchored by a superb Gemma Arterton, Their Finest is a funny, winning, beautifully acted ode to working women and cinema.

An entirely charming extension of the most unlikely franchise, gently handling big themes and dissolving cynicism with laughter. Maggie Smith is superb.

Featuring funny and endearing moments amid beautifully choreographed action sequences, Shang-Chi excels as a story about family and how it can be twisted by grief. Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and Tony Leung bring multi-faceted characters to life and, despite pacing issues, it delivers a hugely entertaining step in the right direction for Asian representation.

The characters and scenarios are familiar, but this is a loose, cool, funny remix that makes them feel fresh again.

A beautiful but slow moving celebration of life, stunningly photographed.

As sweet and beguiling a musical romance as it’s possible to have between two murderous psychopaths. Its kooky approach won’t suit all stripes of comic-book fan, but it finds a strange, tragic hopefulness all of its own.

Both enthusiastically irreverent and deeply sincere, Nimona is a revisionist fairytale that forges its own path visually and narratively to beautiful effect. Insert celebratory shark-dance here.

When it comes to playing a properly magnetic anti-hero with a gruff ’70s-cinema exterior and a dark reservoir of inner depth, Jackman really is the best at what he does.

Ray & Liz is undoubtedly a difficult watch, a searing portrait of a family that has come apart at the seams. But, creating an astute sense of atmosphere and detail that come together to make meaning, Richard Billingham marks himself out as a filmmaker to watch.

Goofy and easygoing, Starsky & Hutch is not exactly politically correct, but you'd be hard pushed to find a single mean frame.

Jia’s grip slackens slightly at the end but, especially in its middle section, Ash Is Purest White is engrossing, surprising and affecting, held together by a towering performance from Tao – her gaze alone should carry a licence to kill.

It’s a simple but artfully effective debut feature from Irish filmmaker Colm Bairéad, with a remarkable, heartbreaking debut performance from Clinch, whose face betrays anxieties she doesn’t yet fully understand.

Quite shocking, almost avant-garde in the way it constantly confounds expectations built up over years of formula pictures.

Brawl In Cell Block 99 takes its time with its set-up, but that only makes the action that follows all the more effective. And Vaughn as an action hero works surprisingly well.

What it lacks in depth, it makes up for with style, well-handled action, and an entertaining central duo. More proof, if needed, that Ma Dong-seok is a star.

It’s a very straightforward story, but there is no doubting the heartfelt nature of the telling — and the subject matter is unimpeachable. John Williams was the best to ever do it, and this film is a good reminder of how, and why.

As far as documentaries go, this doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but its emotional account of Reeve’s life is a fitting tribute to a true superhuman.

Tense, stressful and savagely staged, this is a scarily good debut from YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou. Be sure to hold someone’s hand while watching.

Styx is a gripping sea adventure that mixes thrills and spills with thoughtfulness and compassion. The MVP here is Wolff, who superbly etches emotional disintegration alongside amazing physical prowess.

It's a weighty message movie, but it's a message worth delivering – and the cast's delivery is flawless.

Polanski arrived on the scene with an almost super-human knack for tension; one of the great directorial debuts in cinema's history.

A heartfelt digital eulogy for an unconventional but extremely human life.

Pure escapist madness. And a helluvalota fun.

This is Steve McQueen’s most accessible film to date, without diluting any of his power. Mixing epic sweep with textured detail, despite an episodic second half it will make even the stiffest upper lip quiver.

Deyn is a revelation in a difficult but rewarding take on Scottish rural life. The most English of directors has done a Scottish classic proud.

Sparks fly, but the grim cynicism of modern politics adds subversive weight to the film’s screwball comedy stylings and has a lot to say about modern politics, in the US as well as abroad.

A first-rate horror movie, It Follows adds a new monster to the pantheon expect pranksters to imitate the Follower for cheap shocks soon — and has a refreshing, unpretentious sense that a meaningful subtext doesn’t undercut spookiness.

Perfectly played, simultaneously serious and light, endlessly inventive, this is a strong contender for the most original date movie of the year. (Terrific) stuff.

Everybody is good at one thing, they say; for Emmerich, it's destruction.

Fascinating history, very good movie -- but demanding, and its lack of easy answers will frustrate some. Lessons about 21st century terrorism are implicit, but not overly stressed.

Mason's urbane genius and Douglas' dimpled two-fistedness (and stripy sailor shirt) beef up a floppy script.

A richer plot, life lessons and loving Chinese cultural references rendered by turns sweet, scary and charming, with yet more fantastical kung fu, make this an engaging winner. Stunning visuals make it real art as well.

Maclean has made a Western of such confident ease that it’s hard to believe this is the director’s first feature film.

Coming from a novice director, the film is not as impressive as "Sense And Sensibility", but as a light-hearted and energetic comedy of who-loves-who? and small upsets, this works well - and it boasts Paltrow's star-making turn.

Somewhere between a primal scream, a self-acceptance and even a forgiveness of sorts, this is an utterly unique bit of autobiography. Brave, bold, and a little batshit.

Crackling with energy and fizzing with ideas, this fresh take on Frankenstein is a thrilling adaptation that reinvigorates a well-worn tale.

A terrific human drama about two boys about to be consigned to the scrapheap, with standout performances from its young leads.

Like any good “Weird Al” song parody, Weird takes the music-biopic template and transforms it into something utterly absurd. The result is a polka-popping, piss-taking joy.

With an exemplary cast and shiny new alt-universe to enjoy, this is the best Fantastic Four yet. And if that bar’s too low for you, then it’s also the best Marvel movie in years.

Alien: Romulus plays the hits, but crucially remembers the ingredients for what makes a good Alien film, and executes them with stunning craft and care. It is, officially, the third-best film in the series.

Outrageous and endearing, the Zombieland team swaps horror for crime in a daft caper that's undoubtedly slight but terrifically entertaining all the same. Very fast and lots of fun.

A beautifully understated performance from Sydney Sweeney, paired with stylistically minimalist filmmaking, make for a chilling, compelling chamber piece — finding the humanity underlying even the tensest of confrontations.

Though not as risk-taking as his earlier work, François Ozon’s fanfic for the Jazz Age steers clear of pastiche and is utterly charming — throwing a few curveballs to keep you on your toes.

An impassioned ode to both the toys and their era, this, at last, is the Transformers movie we’ve been waiting for.

A rolicking good time is had by all in this adventure that is built on archetypal plot strands that tie together oh so well.

Unlike in The Pink Panther, Clouseau was the real star here.

A brilliant musical that still looks fresh today.

Creaky, Aged and utterly enchanting. One to be seen on a proper print if you can.

A chilling, intense character study.

An exploration of carnal desire that is at once fiercely erotic, nuanced and raucously funny, with Kidman charging into the breach, flaws bared, taking everything that Reijn hurls her way.

An insightful and, on occasion, laugh-out-loud piece of filmmaking. Artfully shot and structured, while its warmth and wit shine as brightly as the Californian sun.

Dramatically, Thunder Road is a little thin, but the plot’s not the point: this is all about Cummings, who sparkles with charisma and confidence. It’s an unabashed indulgence.

While not quite on a level with The Endless, this is another pocket lint sci-fi from the current masters of such. A welcome sign that Benson and Moorhead haven’t gone fully respectable just yet.

The prototype for now ubiquitous 50 best blabla clips ever shows is well worth a look. They really are a bunch of the best ever.

Definitely a Disney classic but misses out much of the darker side of J.M.Barrie's fantasy tale.

Beautifully played — especially by Wang Jingchun — So Long, My Son is sprawling, audacious, sometimes bewildering, ultimately moving. It tests your patience but it’s worth it.

Packed with cultural references and sly satire, this is also a hugely entertaining comic romp.

A painful and poignant excoriation of the American dream.

Grand in scope, the best thing here is still Sir Ben Kingsley's central performance; the film will always deserve to be seen for this alone.

Absorbing if not quite insightful, due to a fair degree of self-editing, this remains a moving, often melancholic document of a fabulous songwriter and singer whose legacy becomes ever more obvious as the years pass. A must for fans.

As a spectacular war film with a powerful moral dimension, Zulu pre-dates Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan by more than three decades. Like the defence of Rorke's Drift itself, its legend grows with the passing of time.

An unconventional sequel to an unconventional film, this works as a standalone picture with its own distinctive take on alien invasion but also expands what now seem like a franchise with potential to deliver more and varied snapshots of human behaviour in extreme circumstances.

Scorsese is the Bob Dylan of cinema – poetic, truthful, idiosyncratic – and Rolling Thunder, despite some longueurs, is an important document of a major artist – by a major artist.

Despite its bleak locations, High Hopes is in fact very funny, with wonderful observations on life in the capital...and believable, touching performances all round.

Belfast is exactly the kind of film that wins an audience award at a festival — highly entertaining and beautifully done without ever being innovative or challenging, finding the universal in the specific, the upbeat in dire circumstances. Slight but winning.

Elements of self parody from the master of slapstick leave you yearning for the early work that made his name. But it's worth a watch to see Chaplin and Keaton in one of few on-screen appearances together.

Loveable - especially if you're as fond of a pun as we are - and extremely silly.

Beautiful and resonant, this provokes deeper thoughts on the nature of living with violence than most gangster films.

Telling an age-old story in a singularly original way, Border is a compelling, sometimes excruciating fairy tale for our times — with a bizarre sex scene to rival Team America’s.

For fans of Cassavetes, Opening night is a must see. As per usual it features a superb cast.

It’s almost as structurally daring as "Memento," demanding that the audience fills in the gaps.

This is one of those documentaries that stays with you for years. The injustice infuriates and the story, simply and deftly told, breaks your heart.

Roth and Reeves locks us in for an increasingly terrifying thrillride.

Provocative, principled and richly detailed, this is compelling stuff. Emotionally it’s a little dry, but as brain-food, it’s absolutely invigorating.

A simple entertainment in a summer of overcomplicated disappointments. Also much harder-edged than you may have expected.

Even without his box of political tricks, Oliver Stone remains the foremost cinematic shrink for America's distress.

Jonny Owen’s winning doc appeals beyond football tribalism with a universal underdog story, boosted by a thumping disco score that gives a thud to the match footage.

A surprisingly good and compelling film, that is made by its two leads.

From the visceral plunges of the first person mind clip sequences (including a terrifying, controversy courting rape sequence) to the overwhelming finale this is a, literally, stunning event. Some directors can, thank God, still make you experience films.

Another dramatic triumph for Bennett Miller, though it is his toughest and least glamorous outing yet. A sad and horrible story, expertly and compellingly told.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest film is a chilly and mystifying expression of a modern malevolence which hangs over our lives — like a cloud, if you will — worsened by constant digital connection.

It's not a great film, but Lee's superhuman skills make it an occasionally jaw-dropping experience.

Claire Oakley has created a vivid sensory experience out of limited means. Make Up is anything but cosmetic — it gets right under the skin.

Hitchcock's coldest, hardest movie until its controversial ending.

Less confrontational than most Solondz movies, in that it refrains from violence or kink, but still unsettling and affecting.