The Travellers (out Oct 9) is an Australian film about a young man who returns to his family home in rural Western Australian to help his ageing parents. It's a nice cast with worthy themes... but the screenplay is a massive let-down. Most subplots (e.g. two bullies starting a wine company) are weirdly constructed with little relevance. Grade: C+.

A House of Dynamite (out Oct 9) is from Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow and is a slick thriller, told from multiple perspectives, about a nuclear weapon of unknown origin which has been fired towards the United States. A few subplots (e.g. pilots) are underdone but it's intense and asks questions of the audience. Grade: A-.

Tron: Ares (out Oct 9) is the 3rd movie in the franchise and provides a full-throttle mix of music, sound and visuals. The script is a disappointment, however. Subplots are undercooked, the villain is laughably one-dimensional, and cameos from Gillian Anderson and Jeff Bridges add nothing. Grade: C+.

Merchant Ivory (out Oct 9) is a 112-minute documentary which chronicles the history of a small film production company which made over 40 movies between 1963 and 2009. I’m not convinced it has broad allure, and I wouldn’t be recommending to those who aren’t cinephiles. That said, if you’re a movie tragic like me, it provides enthralling, behind-the-scenes insight into the filmmaking process. Grade: B+.

The Smashing Machine (out Oct 2) may earn Dwayne Johnson a first Oscar nomination in that he's doing something different, he’s playing a real-life person, and he’s wearing a lot of prosthetics. That said, this biopic of wrestling pioneer Mark Kerr never gets out of first gear. There's a bunch of interesting subplots but, in jumping all over the place, the film struggles to finish any of them. Grade: B-.

Him (out Oct 2) is a horror film about a young quarterback put through a rigorous boot camp run by a soon-to-be-retired great. I liked the themes, the production design, and the cinematography but the writers struggle to weave the many plot points together into a clear, credible narrative. Still worth a look-see. Grade: B.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 (out Sep 25) continues the three-part horror franchise kicked off in 2024. Some quality chase sequences but in terms of advancing the plot, the film is lacking. Grade: C+.

Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues (out Sep 25) is a long-awaited sequel to the mockumentary film which became a cult hit after its 1984 release. The original will always be the movie people remember more fondly but, just like a classic TV reunion special, this serves as an enjoyable companion piece. The story is thin but it’s just nice to see the actors reuniting and tapping into the iconic characters which launched their careers forty years ago. Grade: B.

One Battle After Another (out Sep 25) is the latest from director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) and is an hilarious misadventure reminiscent of a Coen Brothers movie. The characters have distinctive quirks, the story is batshit crazy, and humour is spread throughout. The expansive cast, headlined by Oscar winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, all tap into their comedic talents. Wild, random entertainment! Grade: A-.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (out Sep 18) is something the characters experience but I'm not sure audiences will feel the same way. It's a weird romantic film where our two protagonists re-evaluate their current lives after experiencing fantasy flashbacks. I struggled to understand what purpose the flashbacks served nor why these two people were such a perfect fit for each other. Grade: C+.