Midnight in Paris

Director: Woody Allen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/

Review: Charming and entertaining with beautiful backdrops.

Go see it if: You don't need a strong plot but are happy to watch people talk and interact.

And if you liked: Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Manhattan

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Director: Brad Bird

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229238/

Review: Pretty thin plot but pretty enjoyable entertainment nonetheless.

Go see it if: You just want some fun action.

And if you liked: Mission Impossible, The Incredibles, Minority Report

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Director: David Fincher

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568346/

Review: Stylistically presented and very well performed but far too long and lacking in structure.

Go see it if: You can deal with some really heavy sexual violence scenes.

And if you liked: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Fight Club, Casino Royale

Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/

Review: Drags a bit in places but is still an interesting and entertaining movie.

Go see it if: You're not put off by knowing nothing about baseball. I know nothing but still enjoyed it.

And if you liked: The Social Network, Wall Street

Check this out: Moneyball

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Director: Guy Ritchie

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/

Review: Has a few good moments but is far too long and very very messy.

Go see it if: You're not averse to a large amount of seemingly unintentional homoeroticism.

And if you liked: Sherlock Holmes, Welcome to the Jungle

Hugo

Director: Martin Scorsese

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/

Review: Too long and some of the humour falls flat but is still very enjoyable with a genuinely moving ending.

Go see it if: You like silent movies... or if you don't actually.

And if you liked: Harry Potter, Muppers Christmas Carol, Mary Poppins

Check this out: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Another Earth

Director: Mike Cahill

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1549572/

Review: Intimate and moody with a little bit too much ponderousness at times but still quite engaging.

Go see it if: You're ok with more heady science fiction.

And if you liked: Primer, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Winter's Bone

Tank Girl

Director: Rachel Talalay

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114614/

Review: Very muddled and strange causing it to feel far too long but has some good moments and soundtrack choices.

Rent it if: You want to be baffled.

And if you liked: Super Mario Bros, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Check this out: Tank Girl

Jane Eyre (2011)

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229822/

Review: A little unclear in places but beautifully shot and crafted with really great central performances.

Go see it if: You're not put off by costume drama? I guess?

And if you liked: Never Let Me Go, Atonement

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Director: Lynne Ramsay

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1242460/

Review: Incredibly well woven and effective with excellent performances all round and a surprising amount of humour.

Go see it if: You're not about to have a child.

And if you liked: Bronson, Elephant, Hard Candy

Check this out: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Zombie Flesh Eaters

Director: Lucio Fulci

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080057/

Review: Weird pacing but has a good atmosphere and great special effects.

Rent it if: You're ok with some gratuitous violence and dodgy dubbing.

And if you liked: Dawn of the Dead, Halloween

The Return of the Living Dead

Director: Dan O'Bannon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089907/

Review: Absolutely crazy and weird but never stops being entertaining.

Rent it if: You enjoy silly horror.

And if you liked: Repo Man, Night of the Living Dead (1990), Braindead

Candyman

Director: Bernard Rose

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103919/

Review: Oddly paced but genuinely unsettling and held together with a fantastic score.

Rent it if: You don't have a phobia of bees.

And if you liked: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Final Destination, Hellraiser

Check this out: The Forbidden

Red State

Director: Kevin Smith

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0873886/

Review: Flawed but inventive and interesting enough with its atmosphere and performances to keep you intrigued to the end.

Go see it if: You'd like to see Kevin Smith try something different.

And if you liked: The Devil's Rejects, Breaking Bad, The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Submarine

Director: Richard Ayoade

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440292/

Review: Loses its way towards the end but is visually striking and very very funny.

Rent it if: You're ok with an 'indie' soundtrack.

And if you liked: Rushmore, The Life Aquatic, Harold & Maude

Check this out: Submarine

Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/

Review: Very slick, stylish and gripping with an excellent undercurrant of thumping menace.

Go see it if: You can handle some effective violence.

And if you liked: Lost Highway, Bronson, Irreversible

Check this out: Drive

The Innocents

Director: Jack Clayton

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055018/

Review: Fascinating, haunting and unsettlingly creepy.

Rent it if: You don't have to walk home in the dark afterwards.

And if you liked: The Orphanage, The Others

Check this out: The Turn of the Screw

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Director: Tomas Alfredson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340800/

Review: Expertly constructed and intriguingly convoluted with a genuinely brilliant cast.

Go see it if: You're not put off by a slower pace to a film.

And if you liked: Let the Right One In, M, Mad Men, Michael Clayton

Check this out: Tiner Tailor Soldier Spy

30 Minutes or Less

Director: Ruben Fleischer

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1622547/

Review: Not particularly groundbreaking or memorable but still a bit of fun.

Go see it if: You find Aziz Ansari and/or Danny McBride very funny.

And if you liked: Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Down

Final Destination 5

Director: Steven Quale

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1622979/

Review: Rubbish characterisations but good gory fun with a great ending nonetheless.

Go see it if: You like the Final Destination movies?

And if you liked: Final Destination, Final Destination 3, Scream

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Rupert Wyatt

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1318514/

Review: Exciting and involving with intense action and great performances.

Go see it if: You're not put off by the awkward title.

And if you liked: Planet of the Apes, Project Nim, Animatrix: The Second Renaissance

Days of Heaven

Director: Terrence Malick

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077405/

Review: Strangely paced and a bit confused at times but still quite hypnotic and very beautiful in places.

Rent it if: You're ok with some unexplained aspects.

And if you liked: Never Let Me Go, The Tree of Life, There Will Be Blood

Cowboys & Aliens

Director: Jon Favreau

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/

Review: A touch long but well constructed and lacking in any sort of parody streak that could so easily have ruined it.

Go see it if: You like some genre fun.

And if you liked: Iron man, Independence Day, Alien 3

Check this out: Cowboys & Aliens

Drive Angry

Director: Patrick Lussier

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1502404/

Review: Utter ridiculous rubbish but pretty funny and enjoyable all the same.

Rent it if: You like seeing William Fichtner being weird.

And if you liked: Death Proof, Legion, Shoot Em Up, Charlie's Angels

Project Nim

Director: James Marsh

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814836/

Review: A little oddly paced but otherwise is an interesting and touching film.

Go see it if: You're not too sensitive to hippies.

And if you liked: Senna, Grizzly Man

Super 8

Director: J.J. Abrams

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1650062/

Review: A bit too long and loaded with some utter contrivances but is very engaging and has plenty to enjoy.

Go see it if: You're tolerant of lens flares.

And if you liked: E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, The Goonies, Matinee

The Tree of Life

Director: Terrence Malick

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/

Review: About 20 minutes too long but filled with fascinating visuals and interesting moments.

Go see it if: You've been to the bathroom.

And if you liked: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blue Velvet, Stand By Me, Radio Flyer

Captain America: The First Avenger

Director: Joe Johnston

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/

Review: No real plot to speak of but plenty of fun to enjoy and some nice looking design.

Go see it if: You're following the thread of Avengers movies.

And if you liked: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hellboy, Thor, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Director: David Yates

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1201607/

Review: Compelling story with well built characters and a very pleasing horror aesthetic.

Go see it if: You like the Harry Potter films? I mean seriously...

And if you liked: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Return to Oz, The Empire Strikes Back

Wet Hot American Summer

Director: David Wain

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243655/

Review: Just the right balance of nonsensical and hilarious.

Rent it if: You can enjoy some dodgy continuity... and reused sound effects.

And if you liked: Dazed & Confused, Camp Nowhere, Anchorman

TrollHunter

Director: André Øvredal

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740707/

Review: Sags pretty heavily in the middle but otherwise is inventive and funny.

Go see it if: You're ok with subtitles and shaky camerawork.

And if you liked: [●REC], The Blair Witch Project

Struggle Through Death

Director: Hsin Yi Chang

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201196/

Review: Repetitively and hilariously awful.

Rent it if: You enjoy hearing the same punching sound effect a few thousand times.

And if you liked: Taffin, Death Proof

Green Lantern

Director: Martin Campbell

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133985/

Review: Entertaining, interesting with nice visual effects and a brilliantly weird performance from Peter Sarsgaard.

Go see it if: You like when a film has the courage to just go for it.

And if you liked: Superman, Iron Man

Dirty Harry

Director: Don Siegel

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066999/

Review: A little bit daft here and there but absolutely entertaining and good.

Rent it if: You, like me, somehow haven't seen it.

And if you liked: Chinatown, Zodiac, Bad Lieutenant

X-Men: First Class

Director: Matthew Vaughn

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270798/

Review: Duff story and far too long but looks fairly nice and has some watchable action sequences.

Go see it if: You're in a big X-Men mood.

And if you liked: Star Trek, X-Men, Spider-Man 2

Senna

Director: Asif Kapadia

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424432/

Review: Loses some structure towards the end but remains gripping and fascinating throughout.

Go see it if: You're interested in Formula One racing... or not actually. I enjoyed it and I've never watched a race.

And if you liked: The King of Kong

My Dinner with Andre

Director: Louis Malle

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082783/

Review: A bit too long and a little headwrecking but still very interesting and intriguing.

Rent it if: You can handle a film that's entirely dialogue.

And if you liked: Waking Life

Taffin

Director: Francis Megahy

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096211/

Review: Unintentionally bizarre and hilarious.

Rent it if: You can find it... or, don't actually.

And if you liked: The Wicker Man (2006), Zonad

Check this out: Taffin

Hanna

Director: Joe Wright

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993842/

Review: Fast paced and engaging with great fun action.

Go see it if: You're ok with some action violence? I guess?

And if you liked: Nikita, Old Boy, Children of Men

Nikita

Director: Luc Besson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100263/

Review: Absolutely great for the first 3 quarters or so before it begins to lose the plot for a while but then picks up just at the end.

Rent it if: You're ok with a dodgy score.

And if you liked: Leon, Old Boy, Bronson

Thor

Director: Kenneth Branagh

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/

Review: Slow and confused with ill-fitted humour and no real emotional weight.

Go see it if: You're extremely impressed by large computer generated landscapes.

And if you liked: Hellboy, Star Trek

Check this out: Thor

Wake Wood

Director: David Keating

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1296899/

Review: A bit dodgy and shaky in parts but carries on nicely with a genuinely chilling atmosphere.

Rent it if: You like a bit of low budget horror.

And if you liked: The Wicker Man, Shallow Grave, Don't Look Now

Scream 4

Director: Wes Craven

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262416/

Review: Nothing particularly groundbreaking but enjoyable enough.

Go see it if: You're into the Scream thing.

And if you liked: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3

Scream 2

Director: Wes Craven

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120082/

Review: Silly and confused but enjoyable enough.

Rent it if: You can handle some poor and dated music choices.

And if you liked: Scream, Urban legend, Scream 3

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Director: Werner Herzog

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664894/

Review: Very interesting and visually strong if a bit laden with esoteric quirks.

Go see it if: You're ok with some strange tangents.

And if you liked: Aguerre the Wrath of God, Planet Earth, My Best Fiend

A Single Man

Director: Tom Ford

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315981/

Review: Hauntingly beautiful, powerful, inventive and hypnotic.

Rent it if: Don't rent it. Buy it.

And if you liked: Mad Men, A Serious Man, Less than Zero

Check this out: A Single Man

Foo Fighters: Back and Forth

Director: James Moll

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853563/

Review: Interesting and entertaining if a little lacking in footage.

Go see it if: You like the Foo Fighters?

And if you liked: Foo Fighters albums?

Source Code

Director: Duncan Jones

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/

Review: Starts off well with great a concept and looks gorgeous but ultimately loses the run of itself and fails to satisfy.

Go see it if: Eh, I dunno. You're not too bothered by a weak plot?

And if you liked: Minority Report, Quantum Leap, 12 Monkeys

Cube 2: Hypercube

Director: Andrzej Sekula

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285492/

Review: Even if the film followed its own internal logic it wouldn't be the slightest bit entertaining.

Rent it if: You're stupid like me.

And if you liked: Devil, The Box, Thir13en Ghosts

Princess Mononoke

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119698/

Review: Drags a little in the middle but otherwise holds together as a really inventive, engaging and refreshing film.

Rent it if: You somehow haven't seen it like me.

And if you liked: Pink Floyd The Wall, Akira, Pan's Labyrinth

The Ninth Configuration

Director: William Peter Blatty

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099528/

Review: A bit schmaltzy and sentimental at the end but is an interesting watch with a good story and a strange amount of humour.

Rent it if: You're ok with a certain amount of religious messaging getting through.

And if you liked: The House of the Devil, Shutter Island

Check this out: The Ninth Configuration

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

Director: Yony Leyser

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1466072/

Review: Very interesting and informative with a touching sentiment and really nice animation.

Rent it if: You're interested in William Burroughs?

And if you liked: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten

World's Greatest Dad

Director: Bobcat Goldthwait

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262981/

Review: The plot is a little too straight forward, particularly in the third act, but it still holds together as an interesting and entertaining movie.

Rent it if: You're not too sensitive for some dark areas for comedy to come from.

And if you liked: Dead Man on Campus, Very Bad Things, Four Lions

Silent Running

Director: Douglas Trumbull

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067756/

Review: A bit shaky here and there but well put together, acted and paced with a good story.

Rent it if: You're ok with some 70s flower music.

And if you liked: Moon, The Thing, 2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010

The Adjustment Bureau

Director: George Nolfi

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385826/

Review: Reasonably entertaining paranoia thriller but doesn't really go very far or have much interesting to say.

Go see it if: You're at a loss with what to do with your Sunday afternoon and you've seen everything else.

And if you liked: The Forgotten, Minority Report, Dark City, The Box

Check this out: Adjustment Team

Alien 3

Director: David Fincher

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103644/

Review: Starts off well and has some good stuff going for it but is ultimately too long and doesn't really make a lot of sense.

Rent it if: You somehow, like me, haven't seen it.

And if you liked: Alien, Total Recall, 12 Monkeys

Cube

Director: Vincenzo Natali

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/

Review: Some rough edges but is a great idea with a well written and engaging story.

Rent it if: You're ok with a few dodgy bits.

And if you liked: Saw II, Predators, Alien

Paul

Director: Greg Mottola

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092026/

Review: Nothing particularly world changing but is decent enough for a few laughs and a bit of fun.

Go see it if: You're not a sensitive creationist.

And if you liked: Men in Black, Hot Fuzz, Superbad

Winter's Bone

Director: Debra Granik

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399683/

Review: Tense, strange, well performed and engrossing.

Rent it if: You're ok with a comfortable slow pace.

And if you liked: No Country For Old Men, Brick, Fargo

Check this out: Winter's Bone

The Fighter

Director: David O. Russell

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/

Review: Too long and a bit done but is well performed and it can't be denied that the viewer is strongly engaged during the fight scenes.

Go see it if: You're obviously ok with some boxing violence.

And if you liked: The Wrestler, Gone Baby Gone, Million Dollar Baby

Check this out: Micky Ward

The King's Speech

Director: Tom Hooper

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504320/

Review: A touch long but expertly woven and shot with perfectly subtle performances.

Go see it if: You're ok with royal stuff. Actually, no that doesn't matter.

And if you liked: A Serious Man, Brazil, Gosford Park

True Grit (2010)

Director: Ethan & Joel Coen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/

Review: Engaging story with excellent performances and good balance of drama, action and humour.

Go see it if: I don't know. Just see it.

And if you liked: No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, The Searchers, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Check this out: True Grit

Never Let Me Go

Director: Mark Romanek

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/

Review: Haunting and tragic but also very beautiful and moving.

Go see it if: You can stand being put through some strong emotions.

And if you liked: One Hour Photo, Requiem for a Dream, Children of Men, Atonement, Synecdoche New York

Check this out: Never Let Me Go

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Director: Guy Ritchie

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/

Review: Watchable enough but is far too long and has many unnecessary convolutions and overcooked set pieces.

Rent it if: You're ok with some wobbly accenting.

And if you liked: Resident Evil, The Green Hornet, Welcome to the Jungle

Repo Man

Director: Alex Cox

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087995/

Review: Bizarre movie that loses it's way a bit near the end but has an interesting atmosphere and good soundtrack.

Rent it if: You're ok with a few dodgy special effects.

And if you liked: Office Space, Braindead, Lost Highway

Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/

Review: A delirious and beautiful film with extremely strong performances that builds and builds to an absolutely emersive and powerful climax.

Go see it if: You want to see a dance movie that's not dumb as nuts.

And if you liked: Carrie, The Wrestler, Pi, Mulholland Drive, Persona, The Fly, Perfect Blue

127 Hours

Director: Danny Boyle

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542344/

Review: Tense and (intentionally) uncomfortable with very good use of music and sound, particularly towards the end.

Go see it if: You can deal with some very uncomfortable gore, and you're not too claustrophobic.

And if you liked: Buried, Trainspotting, Pi, Castaway

Check this out: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The Green Hornet

Director: Michel Gondry

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990407/

Review: Decent enough script with some genuinely good moments but lacks a unifying tone and could use a proper edit.

Go see it if: You're ok with some surprisingly violent scenes as well as off-puttingly bulgy retrofitted 3D.

And if you liked: The Mask, Steel, Kick-Ass, Watchmen

Check this out: The Green Hornet

Be Kind Rewind

Director: Michel Gondry

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0799934/

Review: Has a nice pace and feel to it but is mostly fairly benign and really loses interest in the last 30 minutes.

Rent it if: You find Mos Def entertaining like I do.

And if you liked: The Royal Tenenbaums, The Goonies, Ghostbusters

The Thorn in the Heart

Director: Michel Gondry

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424062/

Review: Loses it's way in parts but is nicely made and has some really interesting moments.

Go see it if: You understand that not all films need a big impressive story.

And if you liked: Crumb, My Best Fiend

Easier with Practise

Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217426/

Review: Engaging and funny while it's happening but falls apart towards the end and doesn't really stick.

Go see it if: You're not sensitive to graphic sexual dialogue.

And if you liked: Lars and the Real Girl, Catfish, Away We Go

Catfish

Director: Ariel Schulman & Henry Joost

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1584016/

Review: Has difficulty ending but still manages to be intriguing and hypnotic.

Go see it if: You're not scared of the internet... or you are? I guess?

And if you liked: The Night Listener, Monsters, The Social Network, Paranormal Activity