The Marksman (out Jan 21) is a formulaic, seen-it-all-before thriller about a retired marine (Liam Neeson) trying to help a young Mexican boy evade a dangerous cartel. The characters are one-dimensional and the plot lacks coherence. Grade: C. 

Penguin Bloom (out Jan 21) is based on a true story and is about a Sydney family with a pet magpie. It doesn't get much more Aussie than that! Whilst character development is lacking in places, the film still delivers as an inspiring, feel-good tale about overcoming adversity. She only has a small role but, as she often does, Rachel House steals the show. Grade: B.

Dawn Raid (out Jan 21) is a documentary that chronicles the ups and downs of New Zealand's first hip hop music label. It's repetitive in places (a lot of talking heads) but still interesting to see what two university dropouts, with no industry experience, were able to achieve in a short period of time. One for music lovers. Grade: B-.

Only the Animals (out Jan 21) is a French mystery-thriller about an unexplained death in a small, tight-knit community. It's broken up into chapters, each told from a different perspective, with clues dropped along the way. It's slow in places but it goes down paths you don't expect and I like the way it all comes together. Grade: B+.

The Dig (out Jan 14) tells a damn good tale. It’s based on actual events and delves into the one of the great archaeological finds of all time that occurred in England, 1939.  This film is strongest when the two leads, Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, share the screen together and I love the exploration of their connection (more than a friendship but less than love). Grade: A-.

Music (out Jan 14) is terrible. It's the story of a woman (Kate Hudson) asked/forced to look after her autistic half-sister (Maddie Ziegler) following the death of her grandmother. The subplots are woefully undeveloped (e.g. the Asian neighbours) and clichés are plentiful. Worst of all, writer-director Sia has characters illustrate their emotions using interpretive dance numbers that distract from the actual story. Grade: C-.

The Elfkins: Baking a Difference (out Jan 14) is a German animated feature (dubbed into English) that follows a small, cheeky elf who partners up with a human baker to reinvigorate his struggling business. It's very simplistic in terms of its narrative and villains but it's easy for young kids to follow and they're the target audience. Grade: B-.

The White Tiger (out Jan 14) is the Indian tale of an ambitious young man who, after landing a servant job for a rich family, loses his naivety and is exposed to a darker side of the world. The narration is overdone but the complexity of the lead character and his decision making (not always good) makes this an interesting film. Grade: B+.

My Salinger Year (out Jan 14) is based on a memoir and set in 1995. It's the story of a young writer (Margaret Qualley) who lands a job managing the fan mail for reclusive author J.D. Salinger at a literary agency. The best scenes involve a prickly Sigourney Weaver as the agency's boss but the remaining elements (particularly the romance subplot involving Douglas Booth) are dull. Grade: B-.

Ammonite (out Jan 14) reminded me of Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire... except the characters are less interesting and their development is more stilted. It wants to be a moving 19th century British love story between two women, nicely played by Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, but the opening two acts are slow and it's a long wait to get the film's emotional punch. Grade: B.