Riceboy Sleeps (out Feb 1) is a wonderful film set in the 1990s about a single mother and her young son trying to assimilate after migrating from South Korea to Canada. The film asks audiences to reflect on multiculturalism within our societies, while also telling a moving family tale. Grade: A-.

Anatomy of a Fall (out Jan 25) is an unforgettable French drama that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year. A woman is on trial for her husband's murder and it's as if we, as the audiences, are members of the jury trying to decide if she committed the crime. Your views will swing back and forth throughout. A riveting character study that shows how a facial expression or turn of phrase can be used to judge someone, rightly or wrongly. Grade: A+.

The Colour Purple (out Jan 25) is a musical based on the 1982 book and 1985 movie. There are too many poorly developed subplots but the film still carries a strong emotional heartbeat because of Fantasia Barrino’s lead performance. Through her demeanor and facial expressions, we feel the suffering when she is abused, and feel the joy when given the chance to make a decision independent of the domineering men around her. Grade: B.

The Iron Claw (out Jan 18) is based on the true-life story of the Von Erich family - a father and five sons who emanated from Texas and found international stardom as professional wrestlers. The story is worthy, but I wasn't a fan of writer-director Sean Durkin's approach. The dad is one dimensional and the more interesting characters (like the mum) are pushed too far into the background. Grade: B-.

All of Us Strangers (out Jan 18) is a curious drama about a middle-aged writer who, after losing his parents in a car crash when just a teenager, fantasises about meeting them today and bringing them up to speed on his life. It’s an interesting approach from director Andrew Haigh (what’s real, what’s not?) and it gets you thinking. Grade: B+.

Priscilla (out Jan 18) isn’t telling us much. Elvis was a controlling, domineering husband who took plenty of pills and didn’t want his wife on tour. Priscilla was a bored, lonely housewife who read about her husband’s exploits in the tabloids but never really stood up to him. Stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi are fine but the material lacks punch. Grade: C+.

The Jungle Bunch 2: World Tour (out Jan 18) is an animated feature about a group of cheeky animals who must team up to save their forest from obliteration. Simple story but liked the banter (plenty of insults/niggling) between the characters. Grade: B.

The Beekeeper (out Jan 11) is a trashy but entertaining action film about a ruthless good guy taking down a bunch of money-stealing bad guys. The plot and performances are above-average for the genre but the fight sequences aren't anything new. Grade: B.

Mean Girls (out Jan 11) is a 2024 movie based off the 2017 musical based off the 2004 movie based off the 2002 book. Australian Angourie Rice gets the lead role and there are roughly a dozen songs during the two-hour runtime. Watchable but not as good as the earlier movie. Direction is uninspiring. Grade: B-.

The Holdovers (out Jan 11) is an exquisitely told tale. Marking the first period piece film of director Alexander Payne, it's a 1970s college tale about three "broken" people forced to spend the Christmas holidays together. Humour is generated from the stinging barbs, well-written one-liners, and expressive faces. These moments are countered by well-timed dramatic shifts. Grade: A.