Blackfish (out now) is a shocking, gripping documentary about whales held in captivity and the many instances (often kept quiet) where they have attacked their trainers. It's just 83 minutes but it'll prompt you to do a lot more research on the subject matter. Grade: A-.

Carrie (out now) is the story of a shy teenager, sheltered by her mother, who is taunted by her classmates. She'll get the last say though at the high school prom. It's been a good year for horror flicks and this is another likeable effort. There's actually some depth to the characters and it's not all about cheap thrills and gore. Grade: B+.

20 Feet From Stardom (out now) is compulsory viewing for any person who years to be a singer. It's a documentary that takes you inside the life of a successful background singers and shows how tricky it can be to transition to a popular solo artist. Grade: B+.

American Hustle (out Dec 12) is a "who's playing who" caper film that doesn't gel. There are some great individual performances but the premise takes too long to set up and it's hard to believe that characters so dumb are able to pull this off. Grade: B.

The Spectacular Now (out now) tries to break away from the teen romance mold by providing something that is more realistic and less "sugar coated". Points for that. That said, I didn't find these characters particularly interesting and it was tough grappling the ever-changing mindset of the lead guy (Miles Teller). Grade: B.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 (out now) is a fun, non-preachy adventure that will put a smile on the face of both kids and adults. It makes great use of the "food as living creatures" concept and make sure you stay through the closing credits for more laughs. One of the year's best animated features. Grade: A-.

Ender's Game (out now) focuses on a young kid brought into a military program to help protect the earth from a pending alien invasion. This was a little better than I expected. Performances won't blow you away but the story taps into some interesting moral/ethical dilemmas that got me thinking. Grade: B.

Delivery Man (out Dec 3) is the story of a man (Vince Vaughn) who discovers that he's the father of 533 children after donating to a sperm bank two decades ago. It's trying to be a "warm & fuzzy" crowd pleaser but a few elements don't work (such as the girlfriend and the strange clingy kid). An interesting idea but just a so-so execution. Grade: B-.

Kill Your Darlings (out Dec 3) follows a group of young poets in the 1940s and their efforts to discover who they are - both on the page and off the page. The story is a little blurry in the later stages but the great cinematography and editing (coupled with the 40s music) gives the film a distinctive visual presence. Nice performances too. Grade: B+.

Night Train To Lisbon (out Dec 3) has an unconvincing current day storyline with Jeremy Irons... but when it delves into the past and explores Portugal's oppressive history (through the eyes of a doctor rebelling against authority), it's far more interesting. Grade: B-.