Fences (out Feb 9) is based on the Tony Award winning play from the late August Wilson and is a strong character study set in 1950s Pittsburgh. Denzel Washington (who also directs) stars as a domineering patriarch who tries to assert his waning authority over his wife and children. Grade: A-.

Patriots Day (out Feb 2) takes us inside the hunt for the two men behind the Boston Marathon bombings in April 2013. The Mark Wahlberg narrative (who plays an ordinary police officer) isn't all that interesting but the conflict between government agencies sufficiently compensates. Grade: B.

Manchester by the Sea (out Feb 2) is the story of a man who has distanced himself from his family but is force to reconnect after a tragic event. This is an exquisitely well-told tale about the way we deal with trauma and loss. It also has a surprising amount of comedy. The performances, headlined by Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges, are wonderful. Grade: A.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage (out Jan 19) is a mindless action film that sees Vin Diesel reprise the role he created in 2002. Did the script look this bad on paper? The villains are pathetic and the cliches are endless. Grade: C-.

Perfect Strangers (out Jan 26) is a wonderful Italian comedy about a group of friends at a dinner party who agree to share every text message, email and phone call received during the dinner. There are a few surprises and a few "laugh out loud moments". A great finale too. Grade: A-.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (out Jan 26) is over-edited to the point where it is almost incoherent. A group of dull heroes run from a bunch of monsters/zombies and kill them at any opportunity. Plot is almost non-existent. Grade: C-.

Split (out Jan 26) is a tricky film to discuss. On one hand, it's about a guy with multiple personalities who kidnaps three girls. On the other hand, it's something quiet different. Director M. Night Shyamalan builds intrigue through the opening two acts but I expected more from the finale. Could have easily watched another half-hour. Grade: B.

Live by Night (out Jan 26) is a gangster flick about a man looking to get revenge at those who have wronged him. It's trying to be gritty and realistic but there's a dullness to the leading character (played by Ben Affleck) that makes it hard to be too excited about. Grade: B-.

Moonlight (out Jan 26) follows a kid named Chiron who is from a poor, troubled neighbourhood in Miami. It is split into three segments with each providing a glimpse of Chiron’s at key points in his life. This is a remarkably good movie about one man trying to find love and his place in the world. The performances are hard to fault. Grade: A.

Lion (out Jan 19) is a true story and an emotional story. It follows an Australian man's search to find his Indian family who he hasn't seen in more than 20 years. It’s hard not to feel a tingle down your spine as the film’s reaches its climax. My eyes were moist. Grade: A-.