FOUR STARS When Mel transfers from Juvenile, he finds himself on course for a life in prison. DRAMA AUSTRALIA English #INSIDE Starring Vincent Miller, Guy Pearce Writer-director Charles Williams has crafted a rare gem of a film. It’s also one that presents Australian detention as it very likely is, neither inherently corrupt nor a system that’s likely to rehabilitate. It puts detainees in a holding pattern for the safety of the public where, with a little luck, a few might b

FOUR AND A HALF STARS An Iranian judge falls into a pit of political paranoia, taking his family with him. DRAMA IRAN Persian #SEEDOFTHESACREDFIG Starring Missagh Zareh, Sohelia Golestani This overwhelming film from dissident Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rosoulof is very much greater than the sum of its parts. And those parts - family drama, political thriller, social allegory, action film, horror and western - are each amazing in their own right. In tackling his country’s opp

TWO STARS Time has been called on the last, big glamour show in Vegas and with it, the career of its oldest showgirl. DRAMA US English #THELASTSHOWGIRL Starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis Lurking deep inside THE LAST SHOWGIRL is a great film. Like Gia Coppola’s (grand-daughter of Francis, niece to Sofia) provocative PALO ALTO, this is stuffed with possibility from concept to casting, but unlike her debut, it suffers from such uncertainty as to neutralise any glimmer o

TWO AND A HALF STARS Down Mexico way, William Lee has become infatuated with a young serviceman. DRAMA ITALY/US English #QUEER Starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey Filming any story by William Burroughs is going to be a challenge. Gus Van Sant succeeded with DRUGSTORE COWBOY, David Cronenburg excited audiences with NAKED LUNCH. Yet for every hit there are oh so many that slipped into the long night, never to be seen or heard of again. Thus tackling Burroughs’ autobiographical

THREE AND A HALF STARS A successful CEO begins an affair with an intern, but who is taking advantage of whom? DRAMA US English #BABYGIRL Starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson If you’ve a thing for Nicole Kidman strutting her not-unattractive stuff, or like to leer at the twunky good-looks of Harris Dickinson ( TRIANGLE OF SADNESS ), BABYGIRL is the film for you. Halina Reign’s sexy sex-thriller is three parts airport novel to one part EYES WIDE SHUT; a low-carb S&M romp

FOUR AND A HALF STARS A vicious gangster wants out, Rita is charged with helping her live her true life DRAMA MUSICAL FRANCE Spanish/English/subtitles #EMILIAPEREZ Starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña EMILIA PÉREZ simply shouldn’t work. It is overflowing with so many ideas and influences from latin gangster through telenovela to teary drama, comedy and beyond that it’s impossible to imagine how these disparate elements could possibly become a coherent whole. Yet they do.

FOUR STARS The pope is dead. Can the Cardinals come together and wisely choose his successor? DRAMA UK English #CONCLAVE Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci Packed with religious intrigue, CONCLAVE is a hugely entertaining ‘who’ll do it’ thriller dropped into a political satire to satisfy ‘thinking people’ and fans of the airport novel alike (more Agatha Christie, less Dan Brown). With a splash of tabloid press and Classical reference points, there’s a lot to get your teet

FOUR STARS Ellen has become obsessed by the an obsessive Transylvanian count. Can her husband save her? #NOSFERATU Starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult When judged by atmosphere alone, Robert Eggers’ vampire flick   is a triumph. For better and worse (mostly better), the director of THE LIGHTHOUSE has applied his meticulous arthouse process to this richly gothic adaptation of Murnau’s chilling NOSFERATU.  Forget sexed-up vampire tales of the past fifty years for this is

FOUR STARS A young boy dreams of being a pop star, but fame and fortune isn't all it's cracked up to be. Can the boy be a better man?...

TWO AND A HALF STARS Martha has terminal cancer and will choose her own time of death. It's illegal, and she asks Ingrid to help. ...