Packed with amusing graphics, animated sequences and damning testimonies, this is a landmark denunciation of Hollywood infantilisation and protectionism.

Continually clearing its throat to utter something profound about sexuality, this never quite delivers the speech, though its failure to fully engage the mind is made up for by its captivation of the eye.

DuVernay’s sweeping odyssey is an ambitious (if sometimes messy) spectacle. At its best, it holds a poignant power that provides plenty of food for thought — enough to linger long after the credits roll.

Another sparkling thriller from the "Anything For Her" director. See it, then wait for the inevitable US remake.

An intimate, if unanalytical, portrait of one of movies greatest talents, told in her own words and through an adroitly assembled use of fantastic home movie footage. It’s also probably your only chance to see a Hollywood icon win a sack race.

An engaging, visually striking attempt to uncover the ‘real’ Grace Jones which is only partially successful in those terms. Nonetheless, it’s still a fitting tribute to a music icon.

An engrossing slice of modern history.

Kathryn Bigelow is back with a bang. This is a bleak but adrenaline-pumping experience that’ll leave you shaken, and searching for the nearest bunker.

A pot-bellied fable unlike anything else you’ll see this year. Not since Babe has an adorable porker inspired such peculiar joy or unexpected heartache.

Rich in atmosphere, its leisurely pace dwells on repressed passions in Edwardian society.

Joan Allen, Tom Noonan and Dennis Farina contribute to the class in a truly underrated chiller.

Though a little messy and increasingly absurd in places, Titane is a brash body horror with intense central performances, certain to leave you wide-eyed and slack-jawed at such a risky cinematic endeavour.

Still an impressive and disturbing brink-of-doom thriller.

A true evocation of the spirit of the Strand Magazine, this is the best Holmes movie ever made and sorely underrated in the Wilder canon.

Easily, almost nonchalantly, best in franchise, Rogue Nation dispenses with the dead weight of realism or relevance for state-of-the-art thrill-making in a classical mould. The series has finally found its voice.

Mia Farrow is note-perfect in this charming little movie.

Kidnapped is an expertly paced, gorgeously shot and evocative true story of faith, family, and the power of people coming together to right deeply ingrained wrongs.

The plot’s all over the place, but there are a lot of laughs and some strong action beats along the way.

An unusual epic, the first half is a knockabout comedy, but thoroughly entertaining.

Sour as month-old milk and with a tang of off-screen animosity in its mouth, Robert Aldrich's melodrama is still hysterical in every sense of the word.

A creepy, compelling creature-feature packed with interesting themes, and carried by an impressive lead performance. Cracking stuff.

At three hours it does seem bloody long at times, but is still a suitably epic tribute.

A compelling, grubby outback Western revealing the ragged reality behind a folk hero. Terrific performances, incredible visuals, and a reassertion of Justin Kurzel as a bold filmmaker most comfortable dealing with discomfort.

A touch twee at times, but the use of classic and original animation is admirable, while Owen emerges as the king of sidekicks.

An unassuming treat amid the noisy blockbuster season. It’ll melt your heart and any dietary resolve equally.

A time capsule now of all that was considered controversial and gutsy in 1966.

An engaging comedy drama lifted by two revelatory performances. Wiig in particular suggests an Academy Award-winner-in-waiting.

A little pretentious maybe, but then you've got to wonder at a woman who could sit motionless in a wooden chair, eight hours a day for three months.