The Gift (out Aug 27) is about a middle aged couple who move to a new city and find themselves smothered by an old high school friend who wants to reconnect. With a great location (a house with a lot of glass windows) and a limited use of music, this is an effective thriller that keeps you guessing about its characters. Grade: B+.

Holding The Man (out Aug 27) tells the true story of Timothy Conigrave and John Caleo - two guys who met in high school in the 1970s and become life-long partners. The "getting to know each other" scenes in the early stages feel too scripted but aside, this is an extremely moving Australian drama that beautifully balances its broad time frame. Grade: A-.

Hitman: Agent 47 (out Aug 20) is a weak action thriller based on a video game. Rupert Friend takes the lead role and plays an assassin trying to do something (I lost track because everyone seems to be playing everyone). The action sequences feel too staged and these characters are incredibly dull. Grade: C.

Dope (out Aug 20) is a low budget comedy-drama about a nerdy high school student who somehow ends up with a lot of drugs in his backpack and a lot of people on his tail. A few lulls, a few good moments. Grade: B.

Irrational Man (out Aug 20) is a delightfully wicked Woody Allen comedy. Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone make a great pair with Parker Posey doing her best with a scene-stealing performance. It comes with Allen’s traditional fingerprints – great casting, great dialogue and a great punchline. Grade: B+.

Vacation (out Aug 20) is a reboot of the 1983 original and follows a family who travel 4,000km across the country as a part of a "bonding" holiday on route to a famous theme park. The best scenes involve the family conversing/bickering in the car. It’s when they feel most real. The worst involve the odd assortment of characters they meet along the way. These moments feel too forced and manufactured. Grade: B-.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (out Aug 13) follows Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as they try to stop a nuclear weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Their banter is amusing in the early stages but there aren’t enough laughs to make these guys interesting enough for a two-hour feature. Stylishly shot but light in terms of story and originality. Grade: B-.

Iris (out Aug 13) is a short, simple documentary that tells the story of 93-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel. Her misadventures get a little repetitive in the later stages but this is still a sweet, feel-good film filled with many memorable quotes. Her personality is as bold as her attire. Grade: B.

Last Cab To Darwin (out Aug 6) follows a man (Michael Caton) travels from Broken Hill to Darwin after learning he has terminal cancer. The way it handles the euthanasia is clunky (evidenced by Jacki Weaver's character) but there are some great conversations between the characters that help compensate. Grade: B-.

Fantastic Four (out Aug 6) is even worse than the 2005 film of the same name (and that's hard to believe). It goes through a lengthy introduction and then offers little in the way of pay-off. The tone is also askew with the film neither funny or dramatic. I'm not sure what director Josh Trank was aiming for. Grade: C-.