Cruella (out May 27) is the tale of an orphan who becomes a thief who becomes a cleaner who becomes a fashion designer. The one-dimensional characters become tiring but the cool, colourful world does the heavy lifting in getting this film to the finish line. Grade: B.

My Name is Gulpilil (out May 27) is a documentary about the iconic Australian actor David Gulpilil who has appeared in films including Walkabout, Storm Boy, Crocodile Dundee, The Tracker, Australia and Goldstone. Grade: B.

King Otto (out May 27) is a documentary that chronicles the long-shot victory of Greece in the Euro 2004 football tournament. It's slight in terms of scope (not a lot of interviewees, doesn't dig too deep) but it'll be of huge interest to those who love a real-life, underdog sporting tale. I'll admit to shedding a tear of joy during the finale. Grade: B.

A Quiet Place: Part II (out May 27) relies on the same hooks and tricks as the original but it's still exceedingly better than other action-thrillers coming out of Hollywood. It picks up where the original film left off with director John Krasinski again building suspense through the lack of dialogue, sound effects and music. It reiterates that silence is one of the most effective tools in making audiences feel uncomfortable. Grade: A-.

Two of Us (out May 20) is a French drama about two elderly women who have kept their relationship a secret for many years. A tragic event threatens their future together. This is a moving tale which has been beautifully told by director Filippo Meneghetti. Stellar performances. Grade: A-.

Son of the South (out May 20) is set in 1960s Alabama and tells the story of a white college student who becomes part of the civil rights movement. It’s a nobly made film but the dialogue is terribly simplistic in places. So much of it feels over-explained. Grade: C+.

Death of a Ladies Man (out May 20) is an offbeat drama (or maybe it’s a comedy?) about a college professor who experiences a series of hallucinations while re-evaluating his life and the people in it. This is clearly a personal film for writer-director Matthew Bissonnette and while star Gabriel Byrne gives it everything, the disjointed narrative makes it hard to latch onto these characters and their emotions. Grade: B-.

The Godmother (out May 20) is a French comedy about a police translator (Isabelle Huppert) who, for several reasons, switches sides and becomes a drug trafficker and money launderer. It sounds fun but there’s only so far you can take this idea without losing credibility and the film runs out of puff in the second half. Grade: B-.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (out May 13) is an action-thriller about a teenage boy fleeing some well-resourced hitmen. He teams up with a smokejumper played by Angelina Jolie to outrun them. It’s rare to be saying this but the best elements here are the villains. They’re smart guys and their detailed strategic discussions make for good listening. The rest of the film is a more formulaic hero story. Grade: B.

Spiral (out May 13) is the 9th film in the Saw franchise and is centred on a police detective investigating the murder of a fellow officer. It may have a stronger-than-usual cast (Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson) but it's an unsatisfying film. It's just a rehash of earlier movies with several illogical plot points. Grade: C+.