Hearts Beat Loud (out Sep 6) is a simple, beautiful drama about a single father trying to bond with his teenage daughter by starting a band. There's a quiet, subtle lead performance from Nick Offerman and writer-director Brett Haley skilfully delves into family dynamics and our desire for human connection. Grade: A-.

The Merger (out Sep 6) is an Aussie drama about a struggling rural footy club who brings in some immigrant players to help save their season. It's a film with a good intentions but the narrative is so forced and unrealistic, that I couldn't buy into it. Grade: C-.

Kin (out Aug 30) is a sci-fi thriller that builds early intrigue but fails to deliver. It's the story of a young boy and his older brother, fresh from a stint in prison, who go on a road trip across America to avoid dangerous goons. Grade: C.

The Flip Side (out Aug 30) is an Australian rom-com about a woman who receives an unexpected visit from an ex-boyfriend looking to rekindle past times. Writers Marion Pilowsky and Lee Sellars are trying to give the romantic comedy genre a shake-up but the problem here is the execution. The dialogue is contrived, stuffy, over-written. The small talk around the dinner table is particularly bad. Grade: C+.

Mile 22 (out Aug 30) is a disappointing collaboration between director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg. The story is hard to follow and it just becomes a mindless action-thriller filled with car chases and shootouts. Grade: C.

Crazy Rich Asians (out Aug 30) could be described as a formulaic romantic comedy (which it kind of is) but that doesn’t tell the true story of its value in this cinematic landscape. It’s the first big studio movie to come out of the US in 25 years with a cast that predominantly Asian and Asian-American. There aren’t too many surprises in terms of story but this is still fun, engaging and entertaining. Grade: B+.

The Insult (out Aug 30) is a strong Lebanese drama that shows how a minor disagreement between two people can take on a life of its own and tear a community apart. Nominated at the Oscars for best foreign language film, this is great cinema where your stance on these characters will be continually put to the test. Grade: A-.

The Happytime Murders (out Aug 23) is a very different puppet movie given it's rated MA for its “strong crude sexual humour and coarse language." There are laughs to be had if you like rude, crude, mindless comedy but the fun wears off in the second half and you're realise there's not much at all to the storyline. Grade: C+.

West of Sunshine (out Aug 23) is a moving Australian family drama about a father, battling a crippling gambling addiction, who spends a day trying to connect with his young son. This is a tough watch (in a good way) as we see this guy self-destruct. Great performances all round. Grade: B+.

Book Club (out Aug 23) stars Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen and a group of sixty-something-year-old women who started a book club several decades ago and have kept it going ever since. The story may be cheesy and contrived but the film earns big laughs when they get together for their alcohol-fuelled meetings to talk about their failing love life and books such as Fifty Shades of Grey. Grade: B.