Spider-Man: No Way Home (out Dec 16) is slow to start (the college stuff - boring) but once it gets going... IT GETS GOING! Love the strong focus on the villains (with a slightly different spin), the depiction of Spider-Man's vulnerability and insecurity, and the creativity of blending alternate universes. Very cool. Grade: A-.

The Lost Daughter (out Dec 16) is the story of a 48-year-old professor (Olivia Colman) holidaying in Greece who is triggered by events from her past. Colman is great - creating an intriguing character who swings like a pendulum between likeable and unlikeable. Grade: A-.

The Scary of Sixty-First (out Dec 16) is a creative low-budget horror-thriller about two women who move into an Upper East Side Manhattan apartment and become curious about its previous occupants. You won’t believe where it goes next. This is twisted, demented and hilarious. Can’t believe they make it work. Great music and cinematography. Grade: A-.

Marjorie Lawrence: The World at Her Feet (out Dec 16) is a documentary about the acclaimed Australian opera singer who rose to fame in the 1930s. Lawrence was an interesting person but with limited archival footage and interviews, the film relies heavily on current day interviews with a select few. Grade: B.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (out Dec 9) is a lacklustre effort to reboot this long-running franchise. A bunch of not-so-interesting folk shoot some zombies and that's pretty much it. The backstory (dodgy folks doing medical experiments) is so tired and dull. Grade: C.

Don't Look Up (out Dec 9) is an American-centric satire from director Adam McKay (The Big Short) that is reflective of our times. It replaces "COVID-19" with "comet heading towards earth" and looks at the way politics and misinformation prevent society from making good decisions. It's too blunt and obvious in places (I prefer subtlety) but the cast have fun and, to an extent, that feeling is passed on to the audience. Grade: B+.

Henchmen (out Dec 9) is a low-budget animated feature that explores a fun superhero concept. Rather than focus on villains, it is centred on the henchmen who do all the grunt work behind the scenes and dream of promotion to the big time. It doesn't make enough of the premise (particularly with the finale) but there's sufficient humour to warrant a look. Grade: B.

Dear Evan Hansen (out Dec 9) is a film adaptation of the super successful Broadway musical which won the Tony Award in 2017. It's centred on an introverted 17-year-old high school kid (Ben Platt) who tells a lie which he cannot escape from. While there’s no true substitute for quality live theatre, director Stephen Chbosky does an admirable job translating the energy from the stage show and bringing it into the movie. Love the songs. Grade: B+.

The French Dispatch (out Dec 9) is the latest from director Wes Anderson and is both meticulously crafted and incredibly frustrating. It largely consists of three short stories involving journalists on quirky assignments. Despite non-stop narration and an abundance of flashy adjectives, you feel so distanced from the characters and their respective plights. Grade: B-.

The Hand of God (out Dec 2) is from Oscar-winning Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) and is a semi-autobiographical tale about life as a shy 16-year-old growing up in Naples and his prank-loving, everything-out-in-the-open extended family. The opening half appears aimless but it comes together with a thought-provoking finale. Newcomer Filippo Scotti is terrific in the lead role. Grade: B+.