It makes you wonder whether a documentary series may well have been a better option – even if the movie makes for a moving and amusing recap of Maiden’s incredible legacy.

A perfunctory romantic subplot linking Andy to a bland property developer (Patrick Brammall) should have been edited out and the ending is perhaps a little too sentimental. But this is still a smart and satisfying sequel. The Devil Wears Prada 2 feels like a sleek update on a classic, not a cheap knock-off that falls apart in the wash.

That title wrongly suggests the work of an artistic visionary scaling new heights of elevated horror; instead, this is a fun, dumb thrill ride that breathes powerfully fetid air into the ongoing string of mummy movies.

The discomfort that’s baked into the premise of The Drama is amplified by disconcerting camera moves, cuts and audio choices, as well as Daniel Pemberton’s unsettling score. But despite all that, Borgli successfully plays things primarily for laughs.

This is how metal should be done. Don’t miss it.

Through it all, the overwhelming sense BTS: The Return gives is one of a group at a crossroads, figuring out which way to turn.

They Will Kill You is a deeply unserious comedy horror that provides just enough plot to get it to the next bloodbath. It might not work for some but there’s something in the enthusiasm of all involved that is hard to resist as they craft a gleefully chaotic spectacle.

There are some entertaining showdowns and Weaving again excels as the funny and fearsome Grace, one of modern horror’s toughest protagonists.

Inside the Manosphere is a meta masterpiece that tackles the algorithmic poison being served to young men, but also says so much about the battle between new and old media, as well as the toxic battleground of social platforms, contemporary conspiracy theories and the parasocial relationships that make some influencers rich.

While the Bride’s relationship with Frank isn’t exactly a tear-jerker, Gyllenhaal has made something unique and singular. An outlier in the Frankenstein canon, it’s both a thought-provoking re-assessment of Shelley’s work and a bonkers feminist call-to-arms. They don’t come much wilder and weirder.

With so many of the gang now in the ground, this swansong doesn’t boast the same punk energy of the show’s early seasons. Only occasionally does it snarl and show its teeth, with flashes of the cold-blooded violence that gave it so much of an edge.

When Campbell, Cox or both are on screen, Scream 7 is at its best. Campbell now is as indefatigable a scream queen as Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween series, while Weathers is probably Cox’s greatest role, even if the Friends faithful prefer Monica Geller. So, even an average Scream film is worth seeing for the dark thrills and bloody spills we can depend on. Just don’t expect to be wowed.

A lively, in-depth examination of the fascinating and important heavy metal icons, this Ballad is well worth listening to.

The Moment is too protracted and tonally uneven to work as a great mockumentary, but it has plenty of meme-worthy moments that TikTok will lap up. If that sounds like faint praise, well, just remember it was enough to make Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn a sensation back in 2023.

EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert is a kaleidoscopic mix of documentary and concert movie, replete with a behind-the-scenes peek at the rehearsal process, much of it narrated by Elvis himself. Forget talking heads: Luhrmann has described his tribute as a “tone poem”.

At one point, he insists he’s not a workaholic but a “playaholic”, which might be the ultimate Macca-ism. In fact, that quip sums up his depiction in Man On The Run: goofy and a little corny, but always endearingly himself.

Nouvelle Vague is made with the precision of a super-fan.

If you meet Wuthering Heights on its own terms and give yourself over to Fennell’s bold vision, it’s hard not to get swept up in this gothic tale of toxic attachment.

There’s no denying this is a powerful portrait of grief driven by a shattering performance from Buckley.

With a uniformly impressive cast, spectacular scenes of carnage and the unshakeable feeling that anything could happen, this zombie franchise is as thrilling as it’s ever been. It’s well worth taking a trip to The Bone Temple.

It is a film about living fully and without fear, a cynicism-free zone where, for all their fast-talking, people love each other so much it makes your heart feel like it’s about to burst. Talk about a smash.

The clarity, dynamism and sheer scale of the action is near enough unparalleled, and it’s hard to argue you don’t get your money’s worth. Still, Cameron is going to have to think outside the (Pandora’s) box and change the game for any future installments.

Despite the odd flash of gore (this is a ‘15’ certificate, so expect minimal scares), the film’s biggest crime is that it’s utterly boring.

Wicked: For Good doesn’t defy gravity like its predecessor but fans will want to hold space for a sequel with a very poignant payoff.

Powell is a very watchable everyman, convincingly demonstrating the man of the people integrity of his character. There’s great work too from Colman Domingo as the show’s slick presenter Bobby T and Michael Cera, who plays a loose-cannon contact that Richards makes during his quest for survival. Wright also handles the explosive action well, orchestrating elaborate, kinetic set pieces that throb with excitement.

There is some good stuff here: it looks beautiful, the score is flesh-crawlingly creepy and there are individual shots that will stay with you for weeks. . . Alas, these qualities are all but lost in a slush of nonsensical narrative, unintentional (or so it seems) laughs and characters who are introduced only to drift away like flotsam.

While perhaps not as glorious as Lanthimos’ best, Bugonia’s shock and awe prompts a discussion about internet culture that hits worryingly close to home.

Director Joachim Rønning (the surprisingly decent fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean) is a safe pair of hands. He doesn’t deliver any massive surprises but confidently marshals an entertaining instalment that sits comfortably alongside its predecessors.

A tender, thoughtful film that finally brings the legendary singer-songwriter’s story, or at least a snatch of it, to the big screen.

This is a horror that’s in love with scary movies; a post-modern remix of genre classics filmed through an arthouse gauze that never obscures its goofy sense of humour.

Writer-director Rian Johnson’s script isn’t quite the perfect box of tricks. It’s fairly tenuous that Blanc would turn up for this puzzler – apparently at the behest of Mila Kunis’ local cop. But it’s hard to punch down on a movie with such a riotously entertaining cast.

Despite stellar efforts from Farrell and Robbie, it all adds up to something not quite charming, not quite moving and not quite compelling. This film is less a big bold beautiful journey; more a mildly diverting pitstop.

While The End Continues obviously won’t be talked about in such hallowed terms in four decades’ time, it thankfully doesn’t sully its own reputation, and it sure is pleasant to be back in the company of the band again.

In short, this is a thoroughly entertaining sports biopic that packs one hell of a sentimental gutpunch. It’s smashing stuff.

The undisputed highlight of the film are Faithfull’s various musical performances from across her career.

Operatic in its intensity and lush in its visuals (Anderson shot with old-school film format VistaVision), it’s a sometimes ragged, unwieldy experience.

For at least half of its runtime, Last Rites is as handsome, solidly made and jumpy as the original. It’s never actually scary but Chaves . . . has been generous with the popcorn-flinging set pieces that make these movies perfect date-night fodder.

The end result is an achingly gorgeous film that allows his monster-loving sensibilities and signature style to come to the fore.

If Caught Stealing’s not quite a home run, it is a nail-biter that’ll have you hooked until the final play.

At times, Jay Kelly does smack of self-indulgence but a sharp script and beautiful acting keeps it consistently entertaining.

Somehow Johnson’s sophisticated turn – the best of her career – will keep you on side. As romantic as Materialists is, it’s also realistic which makes it so watchable.

Is there too much going on? Possibly, but Eddington is never dull – Aster commits fully to his grisly vision of a ruptured America where a sticky narrative is more important than the truth or any kind of moral high ground.

There are glimpses of what could have been a decent film here – something charming, witty and exciting, with a cast of greats given room to soar – but whatever might have been is still stuck inside the pages of the book.

It’s heaps of fun watching Curtis chuck herself around the set in the name of slapstick as Lohan delivers the sort of poised performance she built her career on 20 years ago. Freakier Friday isn’t a flawless sequel but it does supply a satisfying nostalgia rush.

It’s a tribute to the joy, hope and love that pop culture and a shared devotion to it can bring. It’s proof that stanning a boyband can be a life-changing force for good, rather than the frivolous waste of time some would make it out to be.

The Naked Gun isn’t big or clever and that’s just fine – silliness has been missing from comedy cinema for far too long now. It might not smell quite as ripe as the original trilogy but it’s never not wonderful to hear Frank Drebin let ‘er rip on the big screen.

This is a typically unsophisticated, heart-in-the-right-place comedy from Sandler, complete with Happy’s four sons mooning and making dick jokes.

It’s enjoyable enough. It’s also a real treat to watch a Marvel film that doesn’t depend on viewers having seen a dozen other films and TV shows.

This awkward by-the-numbers slasher wouldn’t have stood up to scrutiny three decades ago and falls desperately short in an era where elevated horror has become the norm.

To give Gunn his due, he crafts a world that’s as close to the DC Comics Superman that we’ve ever seen, with characters like the shapeshifting Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) adding real texture. It’s a promising start-point to his plans for the DC Universe.

Action and acting, then, all good. Unfortunately – and bizarrely, given screenwriter David Koepp co-wrote the original Jurassic Park among other great blockbusters – the dialogue throughout Jurassic World Rebirth is very patchy, as if his first draft script made it to the screen.

Ironically for a film about AI-powered killer dolls, M3GAN 2.0 has lot of heart.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride, safe in the knowledge that the tyre talk never gets too overwhelming.

Watching the project as a whole is a bit like arriving at pre-drinks to find that someone has queued up 11 slightly same-y Miley Cyrus tracks in a row. Hardcore fans will be entranced; more casual admirers might want to wait until they all end up on YouTube.

If it sounds like Boyle and Garland have been smoking some super-strength Cali weed in the writers’ room, you’ve heard nothing yet.

Director Michael Pearce, who previously made 2021’s decent crime thriller Encounter starring Riz Ahmed, keeps the pace brisk but never really punches up the source material.

Well made, but instantly forgettable.

It all adds up to a superior Wes Anderson confection: the surface gleams with a retro sheen, but there’s enough going on underneath to leave a lasting impression.

A deeply sad movie about thwarted love, The History of Sound is essential viewing.

Highest 2 Lowest’s action moves with pace and the dialogue is full of the rhymes and hilarious street slang Lee typically peppers his films with. However, it doesn’t feel shot and cut with his usual vitality.

Lynne Ramsay directs the hell out of this intense, twisting story.

While it’s not quite the same as actually being there, Bono: Stories Of Surrender shines a new, personal light on his dramatic performance.

Another Simple Favour has built up enough goodwill to keep you invested, thanks largely to game performances from Lively and co-star Anna Kendrick.

Final Destination Bloodlines is even more self-aware than its predecessors, with hugely enjoyable results.

There’s ultimately lots to love about Final Reckoning and if this is the end, Cruise and Co are finishing on a high. It’s just a shame it takes so long to get going.

By the end, even the clunky-looking asterisk in the film’s title makes sense. Thunderbolts* doesn’t so much reinvent the wheel as remember what put the wheels on this bandwagon in the first place: an epic blend of thrills, spills and psychological ills. It’s the most fun the MCU’s been in years.

It’s honest and unflinching, tough but not witless and, for the most part, an immersive, overwhelming sensory experience. It should be compulsory viewing for warmongers of all ages and young conscripts.

Sinners really comes to life via the musical numbers.

Apart from the occasional prickly moment of sadness, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley is largely celebratory.

In short, this is a terrific documentary from start to finish, beautifully structured and by turns bracingly political, informative and inspiring.

It’s a shame the movie has such a goofy name, which throws a shroud over a powerful and unique cinematic experience.

Opus is as off-kilter as they come. Perfectly suited, then, to a man like Malkovich.

It’s a marriage drama, corporate comedy, domestic farce and international surveillance thriller in a tight 90-minute package.

You won’t be able to shake the feeling that there’s a lack of heart and soul here.

Marching Powder isn’t just about anti-woke banter: it also has plenty of affection for its characters, even if it doesn’t fully flesh them out. It’s punchy but never lands a killer emotional blow.

Despite its problems though, One Of Them Days still makes for a fun ride. This is largely down to Palmer and SZA’s undeniable chemistry, perfectly capturing the sometimes chaotic, deeply loyal nature of female friendship.

There’s an infectious warmth to proceedings that makes you stick with Mickey 17 (and 18) through thick and thin. This kooky curio is well worth seeking out.

While the narrative never quite makes peace in the way you would expect and does meander slightly off course, it seems Ross had no intention of a textbook crescendo.

It’s a rich character study that doesn’t sugarcoat the ageism Shelly faces, but also grants her a defiant sense of agency. Whatever you think of her choices, she’s lived life on her own terms.

A road movie that really makes you think about the stops it makes, there is real pain inside this film; Eisenberg and his cast do well to ensure you’ll feel every moment of it.

A few fights enliven proceedings, including one on a road lined with cherry blossom trees. But this is largely dull and disappointing.

True, Becoming Led Zeppelin is never going to do anything but celebrate, given it’s an authorised take on the band. But there’s warmth and good humour here.

A fresh spin on a difficult topic, it’s a high-wire walk that balances sensitivity and sensationalism. You won’t find a more compelling film this winter.

You’d be hard-pressed to call it moving, but at least there’s an emotional narrative that drags us through the grisly bits. Sick, dark and laugh-out-loud nuts.

The film lacks narrative drive and genuine comedy, then. As it barrels towards its inevitable conclusion, though, a funny thing happens. Out of the chaos emerges a rather inspiring ode to making it up as you go along, living in the moment, saying ‘yes’ and hoping for the best.

Like many of Leigh’s best films, it prioritises authenticity and recognisable glimpses of emotion over a splashy narrative arc. That may make it frustrating for some viewers, but there’s no doubt that Leigh and his cast have created a sad, captivating, fascinating slice of everyday life.

A three hour and thirty minute biopic about art, history, money, sex, trauma and concrete, it’s heavyweight in every sense: a monument to its own greatness that stands a good distance from anything else you’re likely to see at the cinema this year.

Midas Man is so busy hitting the familiar beats of the Fab Four’s incredible rise that it never really burrows beneath Epstein’s skin.

Wolf Man isn’t quite as creepy or emotionally charged as its predecessor. Some of the dad trauma stuff is laid on a bit thick and the whole enterprise runs out of puff in its final third, partly because the titular creature doesn’t actually look very scary (at times, you sense a strong coffee and a fry-up would sort him out).

This isn’t a perfect film, but it is a funny, fascinating one with terrific performances from Kidman – surely the bravest A-lister around – and Dickinson as an inscrutable wildcard. You’ll submit to Babygirl’s machinations willingly and thrillingly.

Dodgy depictions of real-life celebs (such as Liam Gallagher) clash with the film’s fantastical tone, which itself can’t support Gracey’s attempt to address serious topics.

If this is a bookend to his incredible performing career, at least it’s a respectful and tender one.

If you’re already a fan, the next few weeks will be spent making playlists of lesser-known B-sides or reading the lore around a scene you weren’t familiar with. And that’s why it was a good idea to make this film – a mad idea, but a good one.

Exploring themes of ancestral reparations and generational grief, The Piano Lesson is powerful on paper, but unremarkable on the screen.

What results is a film that both works as a finely-tuned thriller and a meditation on the Church’s place in today’s society.

Right People, Wrong Place might be a document of an album, allowing RM to show the contrast between this experience and the more polished, slick workings of BTS. But it also feels like a subtle chronicle of friendship forged through music.

This take on Nosferatu may be essential viewing for fans of gothic horror but must be recommended with caution for everyone else.

By the end, you won’t quite be levitating off your seat but you’ll definitely be enchanted enough to stream the soundtrack on the way home. Funny, colourful and full of empathy for outsiders, this film really is the Shiz.