Halloween Ends (out Oct 13) is the thirteenth and final film in the franchise (if you believe the studio) and while the execution is iffy in places (stiff romantic dialogue, convenient timings, unexplained supernatural gimmicks), the four-person writing team have taken enough chances in terms of tone and plot to significantly differentiate it from others in the series.  The ending is a killer too (sorry for the lame joke)!  Grade: B+.

The Night of the 12th (out Oct 13) is a French drama about police detectives investigating the murder of a young woman. In the same vein as David Fincher’s Zodiac, this is an interesting piece of cinema in that it focuses on the nitty-gritty of the case (inspecting the body, interviewing multiple suspects) and highlights just how difficult it will be to solve. Grade: A-.

Muru (out Oct 13) is loosely based on an amalgamation of events that took place in New Zealand. Police targeted a small Tūhoe community suspected of plotting to assassinate the prime minister. Takes a little while to warm up but develops into something informative (as a little-known true story) and tense (you’ll care about characters as they take on the “establishment”). Grade: B+.

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (out Oct 13) is a thriller-drama about a struggling stripper and her son who befriend an escaped mental patient with hypnotic powers. It’s trying to be something which is part supernatural, part family-orientated but it’s low on ideas (the stripper just keeps fleecing people for money). Grade: C+.

A Taste of Hunger (out Oct 13) is a Danish drama about a married couple trying to earn a Michelin star for their posh restaurant. It won’t be easy given problems inside (bad food) and outside (relationship dramas) the restaurant. Wasn’t won over by the continual flashback approach. Thin narrative. Grade: C+.

Amsterdam (out Oct 6) is a comedic, Coen Brothers-esque 1930s tale about two U.S. military veterans accused of murder who meet with a bizarre assortment of people in an effort to clear their name. The quirky jokes and themes don’t always land (writer-director David O. Russell pushes too hard in places) but I was slowly lured into this strange world and its equally strange characters. Grade: B.

The Stranger (out Oct 6) is an Australia drama loosely based on the elaborate police sting which led to the confession of the man who killed 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe in 2003. It takes a narrow approach (focused on the sting and nothing else) and deftly highlights the emotional toll on the undercover detective (Joel Edgerton) forced to befriend the suspected killer (Sean Harris) over several months. Grade: B+.

Don't Worry Darling (out Oct 6) creates a scenario oozing with promise during the opening act but the intrigue fizzles away with a sluggish middle and a rushed climax (which is easy to poke holes in). It's centred on a young woman (Florence Pugh) living in a remote community who senses something is amiss with their overly idyllic lifestyle. Grade: B-.

Under Cover (out Oct 6) is an Australian documentary that looks at the increasing number of women, particularly those aged 50 and above, who are experiencing homelessness in this country. It's not offering a lot of solutions but it does an admirable job highlighting the issues. Grade: B.

Smile (out Sep 29) is, for the most part, an effective horror-thriller about an experienced therapist haunted by a smiling "presence" after a new patient commits suicide. I wasn't fully convinced of every action taken by the protagonist (she's too frazzled given her background) but I enjoyed the film's fresh premise. Grade: B.