Promising Young Woman (out Jan 7) is the story of a 30-year-old woman who, following the death of her best friend several years ago, seeks vengeance against sleazy men. It's loaded with interesting, provocative ideas but the contrived nature of the storyline makes it difficult to fully buy into. That said, kudos to writer-director Emerald Fennell and actor Carey Mulligan for creating such an intriguing character. Grade: B.

Summerland (out Jan 7) would only be believable if a true story... but sadly, it’s not. It’s a contrived drama (featuring flashbacks with a flashback) about a cranky English writer to reluctantly cares for a child during World War II. With subplots involving unrequited love and fantasy islands, the film doesn’t come together. The love story is the weakest element. Grade: C+.

Spread Your Wings (out Jan 7) is based on actual events and is the French tale of an environmentalist who teams up with his reluctant 14-year-old son to save endangered geese. Similar to 1996’s Fly Away Home, the film has some nice interactions between father and son. A warm-hearted, likeable adventure. Grade: B+.

Dreambuilders (out Jan 7) is Inception for kids. It’s a Danish animated feature (dubbed into English) about a young girl who finds a way to change dreams. The film is pushing well-worn themes but I like the way they’re presented. Grade: B.

Monster Hunter (out Jan 1) features an increasing number of monsters and a dwindling number of hunters. I liked the scenario (humans sucked into a parallel universe) but the action scenes become familiar and tiring as the film progresses. Grade: B-.

Dragon Rider (out Jan 1) is both mimicking and mocking the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. This German animated feature, dubbed into English, is about a dragon who teams up with a human to find a mysterious land. Grade: B-.

Pieces of a Woman (out Dec 31) opens with a 23-minute unedited scene of a young woman giving birth (all before the opening title) and then transforms into a character study centered around a tragedy. There are clunky elements (eg the legal case) and too many subplots but Vanessa Kirby’s lead performance makes it a film to remember. Grade: B+.

Soul (out Dec 25 on Disney+) is an animated feature about a middle-aged music teacher who falls down a pothole, travels to the afterlife and then must find a way home. This is deep, creative and beautiful. The kind of movie you could love as a 10-year-old and then love as a 40-year-old for completely different reasons. Grade: A.

Wonder Woman 1984 (out Dec 26) comes up short when compared to its predecessor. I’m energised by Hans Zimmer’s music score and I think Gal Gadot is a terrific choice for the lead role... but this is a formulaic superhero movie that takes few chances. The plot doesn't make much sense and the villain's motives are weak. Grade: B-.

Nomadland (out Dec 26) is centred on a 60-something-year-old widower (Frances McDormand) who, after losing her house and job in 2011, now travels around the United States in a simple van. Largely using non-professional actors, director Chloé Zhao pulls you into this world and makes you feel part of it. There's no huge character transformations or a “they all lived happily ever after” finale. It’s the kind of movie that asks you to observe and reflect. Grade: A-.