The Painter and the Thief (out Mar 25) is an interesting Norwegian documentary about an artist who has two paintings stolen from her gallery. When the perpetrators are arrested, she befriends one of them and brings him into her life. There's much to reflect upon here. It has something to say about forgiveness, drug addictions, mental health and the power of art. Grade: B+.

Crisis (out Mat 18) is reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh's Traffic in the sense it's a bunch of connected stories about the war on drugs in the United States. The film is trying to make pertinent arguments (e.g. big pharma has a lot to answer for) but many scenes come across like an unrealistic soap opera. Grade: B-.

White Riot (out Mar 18) is a documentary about how the music industry came together to fight racism in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s. For fans of music and human rights. Grade: B.

French Exit (out Mar 18) is the story of an egotistical mother from New York City, born into wealth and privilege, who must sharply adjust her lifestyle after reaching the point of insolvency. I’m not fully convinced by what it all adds up to but the quirkiness of the film makes it worth the trip. Michelle Pfeiffer is terrific and I enjoyed the blend of comedy and drama. Grade: B.

Unsound (out Mar 18) is a big-hearted Australian film about a connection forged between a trans man trying to run a nightclub for the deaf community and a struggling guitar player who has moved from Manchester to Sydney. It's simplistic in places and the supporting characters lack depth (e.g. the mum) but the two leads do more than enough to carry the film. Grade: B+.

Judas and the Black Messiah (out Mar 11) is for those who love an interesting true story. In the late 1960s, the FBI enlisted an African American teenager and used him as a counterintelligence operative to infiltrate a powerful Black Panther group in Chicago. Daniel Kaluuya is the Oscar frontrunner for best supporting actor and it's easy to see why. It’s a juicy role that comes with grand speeches in front of big crowds and heartfelt duologues with his worried girlfriend. Grade: B+.

Max Richter's Sleep (out Mar 11) is a documentary that delves into the accomplished German composer and the epic 8.5 hour composition he created for people to listen to while they sleep. This is a meditative experience as you enjoy his soothing opus while learning more about Max, his wife and their background. Grade: B+.

Cosmic Sin (out Mar 11) is a futuristic sci-fi flick about a group of humans who travel to another planet to destroy an alien race. There's nothing interesting on offer here. The conversations shared between the characters are boring and clichéd. Grade: C.

Then Came You (out Mar 11) is a contrived romantic comedy about a widowed woman who travels to Scotland for a short holiday and falls in love with the hotel's cheeky manager. The dialogue is unconvincing, the interactions become repetitive (argue, flirt, argue, flirt) and the finale can be seen from a mile away. This needed to be more adventurous. Grade: C.

Chaos Walking (out Mar 11) starts slowly but warms up into something half-decent. Set in the future, it's about a conflict that takes place on a new planet colonised by humans. The world and these characters needed to be fleshed out more thoroughly. Grade: B-.