True History of the Kelly Gang (out Jan 9) is a poetic, part-fictionalised tale of Ned Kelly that goes down unexpected paths. It's less about Kelly's criminal activities and more about the fractured/peculiar relationships involving his mother, siblings, lovers and friends. Strange but intriguing. Grade: B.

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (out Jan 9) has been created using stop-motion animation and plasticine characters. Just like the 2015 original, it features no dialogue but these cute animals and their human owner, are able to convey emotion and tell a story in the same vein as great silent actors from the early 20th century. Easy to like. Grade: B+.

1917 (out Jan 9) is a tense, immersive filmgoing experience. The vision of director Sam Mendes was to create a World War I movie, complete with battle sequences, that looks like it’s been shot in a single continuous take with no edits. The script is “stagey” and romanticised in places but this is still a powerful film that makes effective use of visuals, sound and music. Grade: A-.

Spies in Disguise (out Jan 1) is animated feature about a brilliant but arrogant "world's greatest spy" (Will Smith) who learns a few important lessons after being turned into a pigeon by a young scientist (Tom Holland). It's a little too forceful with its messaging (e.g. the disadvantages of fighting fire with fire) but it's still a fun tale. Grade: B.

Little Women (out Jan 1) is an exquisite drama about art, wealth, family, sisterhood and unrequited love. The performances are flawless and I love the openness and affection shown by these characters towards each other. Saoirse Ronan brings a beautiful spirit to the role of Jo, Florence Pugh is outstanding as the envious Amy and Timothée Chalamet (complete with pitch-perfect hair) is adorable as the love struck Laurie. Grade: A.

The Gentlemen (out Jan 1) is a Guy Ritchie directed tale involving gangsters, marijuana and a LOT of money. On the whole, it's a complex story that requires too much explaining (Hugh Grant serves as the quasi-narrator) and it's over-written with endless metaphors and analogies. The finale provides entertainment but it's a long time getting there. Grade: C+.

Cats (out Dec 26) has been trashed by most critics and sadly, they're right. It's a slight, dull musical where the lyrics are hard to discern, the visual effects are obvious, and the story is a mess. Having never seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical on stage, it's baffling to think this was one of the longest running shows of all time. Grade: C-.