Brilliant in Prada, as a princess and now as a prison psychiatrist, Anne Hathaway brightens this limp genre exercise that mistakenly prioritises B-movie thrills over more nuanced character interplay.

The Shrouds certainly fits neatly into Cronenberg’s filmography but stands apart as his most intimate work. It’s a hypnotic descent into the darkness of grief, punctuated by perverse Cronenbergian pleasures.

Well made, but not entirely successful ensemble thriller.

It's just so unremarkable. Which, considering its director's monumental output (both good and bad) is, frankly, a bit depressing.

Unbearably tense and thematically rich, this feels like an entirely fresh take on a 123-year-old story.

Matt Reeves’ arrival in the Bat-verse is a gripping, beautifully shot, neo-noir take on an age-old character. Though not a totally radical refit of the Nolan/Snyder era, it establishes a Gotham City we would keenly want a return visit to.

The dazzling ensemble perfectly captures every nuance in one of the finest acting showcases you could hope for.

That the fact they come to appreciate one other, the grudging respect of a million clichés, feels so satisfyingly, shows just how successful the film is.

Carol Morley’s film has a lot going for it, not least a thick, vaporous atmosphere, alive with unease and sexual anxiety, and an eye-catching debut from the casually charismatic Florence Pugh.

It won't win new fans, but as Potter movies go, this is the most filmic of the lot, suspenseful and action-packed.

The sharp ends in Smashed are here for all to see, and Ponsoldt never shies away from their spiky, thought-provoking effect. Yet he also finds grace and warmth in the story.

There are effective moments of dark humour.

A nice twist on the usual small-town-hides-sinister-secret setup, this offers some genuine scares and impressive gore.

Inventive suspense, spiky characters, outrageous horror and wicked satire. Welcome back, George - you've been away too long.

A pressure cooker of a period picture, Brooklyn 45 is a smart take on the spooky séance staple, a film where the scariest spectres are the ghosts of the past rather than any pixel-packed phantoms.

Downright depressing.

Culturally rich and emotionally raw, Mogul Mowgli is a brilliant showcase for Riz Ahmed’s bevy of talents, and speaks visceral truth to the British-South Asian experience so rarely explored on screen.

A superb thriller and a worthy biopic of a real hero. It’s also simultaneously an encouraging follow-up for Headhunters’ Morten Tyldum, an impressive debut for screenwriter Graham Moore, and a big-screen career highlight for Benedict Cumberbatch.

With more thorough editing this could have been on a par with Greenwald's previous films. His source material is gripping, but not life-changing.

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

Before you know it, you're caught up in a difficult but touching friendship, and enjoying a history lesson more than you ever thought possible.

Aussie migrant Rowe has an acute eye for the emotional badlands travelled by Lopez's struggling journo. A tough but humane and affecting watch.

The songs and set pieces are still fresh and infectious and most of the child cast are mesmerisingly good. I defy anyone not to be caught up in the charm and nostalgia.

Jonathan Demme's follow-up to "Swimming To Cambodia" is a typically entertaining diversion.

Likeable stuff despite being slow paced and rather sentimental.

A compelling study of a small-town lawyer's determination to challenge Cameroon's institutionalised chauvinism, which judiciously combines small triumphs with a daunting sense of the task that lies ahead.

Keiller's follow up to his cine-essays London and Robinson In Space is another intelligent, thought-provoking piece of filmmaking.

A bulkier, slower beast than Evans’ first film. But when it enters combat mode, it’s more raucously bloodthirsty than anything you’ve ever seen. Unless you’re Ross Kemp.

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.

A strange hybrid of Italian neorealism and fish-based fantasy, Luca is beautiful to behold but plays it too safe to make a real impact. Still, great CG linguine.

Effortlessly the best Predator movie since the original, Prey proves that, against all expectation, there’s life in the franchise yet, not to mention a thrilling new lead in Amber Midthunder.

A deeply affecting glimpse of a man's quest to salvage beauty from tragedy.

The smart visual trickery lifts what might otherwise have been a fairly conventional thriller, but it also lets Chaganty say some interesting things about our online lives. Technophobes should stay away.

The Menu’s straight-faced depiction of absurd culinary violence may not be imaginative or thrilling, but the film is rarely boring. It’s deep-fried junk disguised as gastronomy; it may not fully satisfy, but it’ll fill a hole.

Louis Sachar's compelling children's classic is about as Disney as Freddy Krueger. It's got murder, racism, facial disfigurement and killer lizards.

For those who delight in the Coens' divinely abstract take on reality, this is pure nirvana (cross Blood Simple with Raising Arizona if you must), yet beyond the hysterical black comedy, scattered violence and groovy dialogue, there sounds the same song to human goodness which enriched Fargo.

It was always going to be hit-and-miss, but Homemade flits between creativity and indulgence in documenting the current crisis. If you want to cherry-pick, Larraín, Lello, Nyoni and Sorrentino’s efforts are top of the class.

A laudably amoral and superbly caustic comedy for those who like their satire strong and unfiltered.

An incredibly tense, tightly contained bottle horror, showcasing a genuinely chilling turn from Hugh Grant. You’ll never watch Notting Hill the same way again.

Strong performances and direction make the most of a lightweight tale.

Already a compelling gangland saga, this vastly promising debut turns into something more surprising when social prejudice becomes the characters’ weapon of choice. If that sounds too much like a lecture, El Hosaini’s voice remains crisp, cool and consistently street-smart.

Getting the best out of a middling novel, Romero finds new, less gruesome avenues for his skills.

Alice Lowe’s directorial debut may falter in its grip, especially in story and tone, but it’s a daringly evocative film that marks a filmmaker of imagination and promise.

A timely documentary that seeks to amuse and inform as much as alarm.

Scott Lee gives a surprisingly strong performance as the Inuit who falls in unrequited love with Albertine. If you can overcome the almost-too-coincidental fact that they are assigned to the same Air base several years later allowing them to be together again then this pleasing romantic drama could just be for you.

Following Jackie, Pablo Larraín offers another powerful examination of grief, capturing all of the confusing and fascinating layers of human relationships. Despite the heavy subject matter, it’s intoxicating.

The first of two King-as-Bachman 2025 thrillers featuring a deadly reality show in a dystopian future. Edgar Wright’s The Running Man will need to bust a lung to keep up.

Tight as a drum, glamorous and exquisitely funny, this one should earn them (Coens) enough cash to make five more offbeat minor masterpieces like "The Man Who Wasn't There" -- and the Coens deserve that as much as we do.

There are moments of comedy grandeur, but this isn't as consistently funny as you'd hope. Nevertheless, Downey Jr.'s Kirk Lazarus is instantly up there with the comedy greats.

If it weren't so darned "sincere" this would be an unmitigated bird-brained delight, but it undoubtedly remains a genial crowd pleaser.

Surprisingly successful adaptation of J. M. Coetzee's superb novel.

A monumentally successful Spider-instalment which pulls off a tricky and ambitious narrative trick with all the grace of a balcony-top backflip. At the risk of getting cheesy, it won't just make you cheer, it'll make you want to hug your friends, too.

Entertaining, and occasionally inspired, but Ralph Breaks The Internet is too often content to achieve a quick laugh, rather than exploring the themes its set-up suggests.

Not the most sophisticated psychological thriller, yet slick fun.

For anyone who appreciates artistic integrity and is interested in genuinely independent films, the prolific and highly personal work of John Sayles is essential viewing.

Another Glum Space Mum, but one who feels complex and real. While the film depicts extraordinary circumstances, it always keeps the hearts (and heads) of its mother and daughter in focus.

Disjointed but it still rocks.

Thanks to the captivating performances, this is well worth checking out.

In a film that could have bowed to easy clichés, Chastain and Sarsgaard are a class act — their touching, tactile chemistry is the film’s triumph.

Not just a pretty face; there's meat on its bones and a song in its heart besides. This deserves a place up there with the best of Disney's previous fairy tales.

A playful and frantic science-fiction twister which mimics the best (Aliens, The Matrix, Groundhog Day) while offering something fresh and — most importantly — thrilling.

Haynes’ film has lovely performances from both actors, and a keen sense of time and place help, but the story is a little too shaggy and unformed to entirely hold the attention.

One of the most legendary tear-jerkers of the 20th century.

Occasionally soapy on the homefront but cataclysmic in combat, this is a worthy addition to the WWII canon. Garfield underpins it all with skill, showing that sometimes, war can be humanising too.

This is a lightweight but utterly loveable affair which proves Hanks is as assured behind the camera as in front of it.

Recalling Harvey Keitel’s tortured cop in Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant, Devereaux is an unreconstructed, unrepentant monster with no hope of, or interest in, redemption. It’s a fearless, heroic performance in a provocative, important film. [Unrated Version]

Sutherland is just Sutherland but his trademark turn is the perfect foil for Crudup's charging rebel, and makes a personal, affecting relationship the centre of a story essentially about a bloke flogging himself round a running track.

Not on a par with Ghibli's greatest work like Totoro or Spirited Away but not without charms of its own. A solid second effort from Miyazaki Junior.

Rare is the film that understands the pleasures of letting an enraged Ice Cube take out his wrath on an all-you-can-eat buffet. And which other blockbuster in 2014 would interrupt its climactic car chase to lob in a gag about Benny Hill?

An encouraging set-up soon descends into a grubby muddle, leaving you wishing you were just rewatching "The Name Of The Rose" instead.

A crunching, visceral transplant for this cannibal tale from its urban Mexican setting to an American milieu.

In flashback, we see the pair's friendship develop through their childhood, but despite the film's heavily symbolic tone, little is revealed about either of the characters or indeed the Vietnam War.

Smart, honest, sickeningly funny and supremely well judged in the writing, direction and acting.

Fine performances in this highly entertaining biopic confirm Mike Nichol's status as the director Hollywood wants to work with.

The story of Britpop’s iconic band at its peak is told with wit, honesty and swagger. Which, given its two leads, is entirely fitting.

Intelligent and witty ensemble rom-com for the grunge generation.

A droll and vigorous psychological study of an everyday egomaniac, but we’ve seen Stiller do this sort of thing before, and better.

A flawed yet fascinating Aussie indie.

Delightful, athletic stuff with some unusual - but wonderful - location shooting. New York never looked better.

Inmate #1 might lack depths and dimensions, but for fans, this documentary is a machete-sharp glimpse into the life of a cult icon.

Thought-provoking, intimate and brave, the outstanding performances from its leading stars and Edwards’s smart direction make this a great entry in Black British cinema.

Some rather rough animation brings down the otherwise exhilarating Blue Giant, which, in its best moments, transforms jazz music into an otherworldly sensory adventure.

A true original: an impressionistic portrait of a lost life, recreated in multiple forms with a gorgeous soundtrack. Odd, but unique.

Whisper it. A Quiet Place Part II might lack the smarts and novelty of its predecessor but it serves up strong set- pieces, Millicent Simmonds shines and Krasinski remains a director to watch.

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

It is a committed ensemble that sells this flock’s love for their shepherd, and while the tale often treads on familiar ground, it is in the bond between these animals and their owner that the film finds its woolly heart.

A tough, post-punk Tintin-meets-Klute for the Occupy Wall Street set, this kinetic, hard-edged thriller is the perfect festive comedown for Fincher fans and dysfunctional families everywhere.

A whimsical but optimistic tale of mistaken identity, it starred the Material Girl as the cheekily irresistible Susan, and turned Rosanna Arquette (repressed housewife Roberta) into a star.

If you can get on board with the paradigm change, this is an amped-up rock-gig of a movie and the most fun Predator since the original.

Unputdownable documentary that evokes the thrill of reading preloved pages and reveals that a passion for collecting is not just a hoarding instinct, but a way to preserve and share culture. 

DreamWorks Animation’s most heartfelt series bows out with a beautifully designed finale, but the long-awaited emotional goodbyes for its beloved central duo don’t quite soar.

As beige as an old PC, but beneath the surface the blood pumps bright scarlet. An intelligent and emotionally charged spy drama.

Charming, funny and great turns from a cast with no finger-wagging. But if you don’t like psychosis-inducing imagery, steer clear.

A darker turn for the sensitive Sebastián Lelio, and yet more proof that Florence Pugh is among our greatest treasures. Plenty of food for thought among the emptier moments.

It should be a delicious chocolate gateau but Emma. makes heavy weather of Austen’s charmer, delivering a tonally uneven, mostly airless affair. Amy Heckerling’s Clueless — Emma in the Valley — remains the big screen benchmark.

Like its seductress, Anna, it's ravishing to behold while ultimately failing to engage the emotions.

Inspired, innovative, stunning, with unforgettable performances and images, this is up there with the great screen Shakespeares. The playwright surely would be thrilled with it in its full-blooded vigour.

Narratives of the Northern Irish Troubles are a nightmare of bias and bullshit – this superior doc does better than most in cutting through both, and offers a lot to experts and noobs alike.