La Chimera (out Apr 11) is from Italian director Alice Rohrwacher and is centred on a man (Josh O'Connor) who teams up with an eccentric group to rob ancient graves in search of money. I enjoyed the film's meandering pace and relaxed vibe... but struggled to grasp something meaningful to take away. Grade: B.

The First Omen (out Apr 4) illustrates how you can take a wafer-thin (at best) idea and painfully drag it out for two hours. A dull horror film where I didn't care about a single character. Grade: C.

Monkey Man (out Apr 4) is the Dev Patel show. He serves as director, writer, and star in this gritty action thriller about an unnamed man from the slums of India who seeks vengeance against those who killed his mother. With religion (both pros and cons) adding an intriguing inner layer, this is worth your time. Worth noting it is incredibly brutal and violent in places. Grade: B+.

Goodbye Julia (out Apr 4) is a heavy Sudanese drama about two very different families who interact after a tragic event. The acting is stiff at times but the story is interesting, moving and powerful. Grade: A-.

Origin (out Apr 4) explores caste systems around the world. Director Ava DuVernay takes an interesting approach. Rather than adapt a famed non-fiction book into a movie, it’s the story of the author’s journey in writing the book in the first place. The flashback scenes are often clunky and over-written, but the current day narrative and conversations are fascinating. Grade: B+.

The Tiger’s Apprentice (out Apr 4) isn’t overly ambitious but it’s still a fine, watchable animated feature for younger crowds to engage with. It’s the story of a 15-year-old who learns he has superpowers and must use them to defeat a villainous sorceress. Grade: B.

Housekeeping for Beginners (out Apr 4) is set in Macedonia and is the story of a lesbian couple who, after one is diagnosed with terminal cancer, make important decisions about their family’s future. Moves at a quick pace. Grade: B.

Before Dawn (out Apr 4) is an Australian-made film about young soldiers fighting on the front line in France during World War I. A worthy project but the dialogue is stiff and doesn’t befit the urgency/chaos of the situation. Takes a while but emotional finally ramps up in last half-hour. Grade: B-.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (out Mar 28) safely keeps the franchise kicking along but lacks a memorable “wow” factor to get people talking. The visual effects are terrific, and the monster battles are cool to watch. The rest is underwhelming. The human characters are dull, the death toll is treated as a triviality, and the tone changes far too often (between comedy and drama). If you liked the 2021 instalment, you might like this too. Grade: C+.

Perfect Days (out Mar 28) follows the day-to-day existence of a simple man who cleans public toilets in Tokyo. Winner of best picture at last year's Asia Pacific Screen Awards, this is a chill, mellow filmgoing experience with a great leading character. Grade: B+.