I Wanna Dance with Somebody (out Dec 26) is, as you’d expect from the title, a biopic of Whitney Houston. It’s more a celebration of her talent than a deep look into her troubles (covered in previously documentaries). I can live with that… just. The cast give it a boost with English actress Naomi Ackie very good in the lead role. Grade: B.

The Banshees of Inisherin (out Dec 26) is an engaging, thought-provoking 1923 dark comedy about two friends on a remote Irish island who have a bizarre falling out. There are many rich, fascinating layers to peel back here. Every member of the cast is in peak form. Grade: A.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (out Dec 26) is the tale of an anxious boy who, to his benefit, befriends a singing crocodile. I liked this. It moves at a quick pace and the real-life themes (family, insecurity) are nicely balanced against the humorous absurdity of a singing crocodile living in New York City. 13-year-old Winslow Fegley is great in the lead role. Grade: B+.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (out Dec 26) is a coherent, engaging animated feature that sees Antonio Banderas reprise his role as the heroic feline. This time around, he displays an interesting vulnerability while going in search of a wishing star that can grant him more lives. Grade: B+.

The Lost King (out Dec 26) is a clumsy comedic drama about a woman (played by Sally Hawkins) who helped discover the lost grave of Richard III in 2012.  The fantasy scenes add nothing. It’s as if there was only enough material for a 30-minute short story but writers Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope unnecessarily pad it out to 108 minutes. Grade: C.

Triangle of Sadness (out Dec 26) won the Palme d’or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Split into three distinct chapters and centred on a luxury yacht trip gone wrong, it’s a great movie film to discuss with friends as it explores class structures within society. For those who don’t want to delve deeply into messages, this can still be enjoyed as a wild, outlandish spectacle (complete with projectile vomiting). Grade: A-.

Ennio the Maestro is a two-and-a-half hour documentary about the iconic film composer which includes interviews with the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood and John Williams. Detailed and riveting. Grade: A-.

Avatar: The Way of Water (out Dec 15) is never boring... but it's the type of action story I've seen 10,000 times now – one where people make reckless decisions and put their lives in danger because nothing is more important than “family” and keeping them safe. From a visual/technological perspective though, it's simply incredible. Every other action movie of the past decade looks cheap and nasty when compared to this. Grade: B+.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (out Nov 24) is a beautiful looking stop-motion animated feature which puts a slightly more spiritual, political spin on the 19^th Century novel. With a fantastic voice cast including Ewan McGregor, Christoph Walz, Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett, this is an engaging family flick with layers (some light, some dark) for viewers of all ages to appreciate. Grade: B+.

Matilda the Musical (out Dec 8) is a film musical based on a stage musical based on a book. The stage show is one of the best of the 21st Century - a rich, dark kids tale (a rarity) with a fantastic score. It's nice to see it on the big screen with a likeable cast (Alisha Weir is sensational) but the direction of the musical numbers is uninspiring (they don't flow well). Grade: B+.