How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Director: Ron Howard

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0170016

Review: Very clearly feels like 30 minutes of material stretched out to a full feature but is fairly impressively put together and delivers enough fun.

Watch it if: You want something reasonably distracting for Christmas.

And if you liked: A Nightmare Before Christmas, Krampus, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

Director: Rian Johnson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527336

Review: Too long with some problems but absolutely dazzling and fun with serious emotional heft.

Watch it if: You can appreciate something going for broke even if it stumbles along the way.

And if you liked: The Empire Strikes Back, Dune, Pacific Rim

The Disaster Artist

Director: James Franco

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3521126

Review: Energetic in an engaging way with some fascinating choices and great use of cues from the source material.

Watch it if: You're interested in a late 90s/early 00s period piece.

And if you liked: Ed Wood, Bowfinger, The Great Gatsby

Check this out: The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made

Angels & Demons

Director: Ron Howard

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808151

Review: Unbelievably long and boring with no sense of tension and a completely predictable twist.

Watch it if: You're stupid like me.

And if you liked: The Da Vinci Code, Inferno

Check this out: Angels and Demons

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director: Martin McDonagh

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5027774

Review: Melancholy and hilarious where it needs to be with fully realised characters and a strong sense of theme.

Watch it if: You're ok with a film not having a tidy resolution.

And if you liked: No Country for Old Men, True Grit (2010), In Bruges, Fargo

Justice League

Director: Zack Snyder

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974015

Review: Weird as hell and riddled with baffling choices with messy, boring action but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find Aquaman entertaining.

Watch it if: You're fascinated by the mania of something like this.

And if you liked: Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Batman Forever

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton

Director: Chris Smith

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7214762

Review: A bizarre mix of touching moments and utter arrogance mixed up in some fascinating footage.

Watch it if: You're interested in Andy Kaufman.

And if you liked: Man on the Moon, Jim Carrey

Thor: Ragnorok

Director: Taika Waititi

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3501632

Review: Just the right amount of silly with some lovely design and a lot of great humour.

Watch it if: You enjoy something that puts fun first.

And if you liked: Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars

Happy Death Day

Director: Christopher Landon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5308322/

Review: Doesn't change the world but does its job in delivering a tidy and fun movie with a pretty good mystery to it.

Watch it if: You enjoy a reasonably smart horror movie.

And if you liked: Scream, The Cabin in the Woods, Groundhog Day

Jigsaw

Director: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3348730

Review: One or two effective moments nestled in a flat and uninteresting film with twists that only elicit a reaction of "oh ok".

Watch it if: You can't help yourself.

And if you liked: The Saw films.

Cult of Chucky

Director: Don Mancini

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3280262

Review: Starts well but falls into a crumbling mess around halfway and never recovers.

Watch it if: You're heavily invested in the Chucky series.

And if you liked: Curse of Chucky, Child's Play 3

Aaah! Zombies!

Director: Matthew Kohnen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027762

Review: Drags hard towards the end but has a novel enough central idea that there's some fun to be had.

Watch it if: You're ok with some very hammy comedy.

And if you liked: Escape from Tomorrow, The Return of the Living Dead, Creepshow 3

The Haunting in Connecticut

Director: Peter Cornwell

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492044

Review: Revels in cliche too much and show clear signs of story changes but has some genuinely creepy effects and some nice ideas.

Watch it if: You're ok with some old tricks.

And if you liked: Donnie Darko, The House on Haunted Hill (1999), Insidious

Check this out: In a Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting

I Am Not a Serial Killer

Director: Billy O'Brien

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4303340

Review: Lets itself down a little towards the end but is otherwise a well performed and moody piece with an intriguing villain.

Watch it if: You're ok with letting a film go where it goes.

And if you liked: Some Kind of Hate, Elephant, Fargo, The Thing

Check this out: I Am Not a Serial Killer

The Boy

Director: William Brent Bel

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3882082

Review: Well put together and starts with a decent idea but quickly resorts to old standards for the rest of its runtime.

Watch it if: You want something fairly wacky.

And if you liked: The House of the Devil, The Pact, Housebound

Raw

Director: Julia Ducournau

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4954522

Review: Handles its balance well between silliness and empathy with perfectly executed special effects and good use of music.

Watch it if: You can handle some fairly nasty gore.

And if you liked: Carrie, The Battery, Felt

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Director: Paul Weitz

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450405

Review: Some wild ideas and effort but such a tonal mess it's hard to become engaged.

Watch it if: You want something that at least doesn't get boring.

And if you liked: Hocus Pocus, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Check this out: The Vampire's Assistant

Under the Shadow

Director: Babak Anvari

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4273292

Review: One or two cliched jumps aside, manages to bring a nice spooky tone with some fun ideas and strong central performances.

Watch it if: You're interested in something complex delivered simply.

And if you liked: The Babadook, Let the Right One In, Pan's Labyrinth

The Strangers

Director: Bryan Bertino

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482606

Review: Bleak and unrelenting with a story that never loses interest or ideas.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that manages to stay fresh without reinventing the wheel.

And if you liked: Hush, Halloween, You're Next

The Bad Batch

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4334266

Review: Subtle in its setting without going too small with some great atmosphere and weird performances.

Watch it if: You can handle a small amount of upsetting gore.

And if you liked: Entertainment, Mad Max, Spring Breakers

Blade Runner 2049

Director: Denis Villeneuve

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856101

Review: Intense and immersive with breathtaking audiovisuals and a plot that slowly builds to a perfect emotional gut-punch.

Watch it if: You're interested in contemplative, cerebral science fiction.

And if you liked: Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Children of Men, A Scanner Darkly

The Dark Half

Director: George A. Romero

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106664

Review: Far too long and doesn't really expand its ideas enough but there's still some fun to be had including an impressive dual performance.

Watch it if: You enjoy seeing Stephen King get very meta.

And if you liked: Basket Case, Monkey Shines, Magic

Check this out: The Dark Half

Children of the Corn

Director: Fritz Kiersch

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050

Review: Derivative and shaky but reasonably inventive with some fun moments.

Watch it if: You can handle a lot of weird kid acting.

And if you liked: Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Sinister 2, The Burning

Check this out: Children of the Corn

XX

Director: Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin and Karyn Kusama

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322892

Review: A mixed bag but nothing atrocious with at least one fully solid entry and some nice ideas.

Watch it if: You have an interest in anthology horror.

And if you liked: Holidays, The Babadook, V/H/S

Check this out: The Box

The Imposter

Director: Bart Layton

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1966604

Review: A biazrre story held together by the charisma of the main character and some nice creative choices.

Watch it if: You enjoy something that unfolds naturally.

And if you liked: Tabloid, The Thin Blue Line

Gerald's Game

Director: Mike Flanagan

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748172

Review: Has a little difficulty ending but holds interest throughout with precision dialogue and deftly handled performances.

Watch it if: You're not too squeamish.

And if you liked: Misery, The Invitiation, Green Room

Check this out: Gerald's Game

It

Director: Andy Muschietti

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484

Review: Resorts to cliché a little bit too much but carries through with some great design and strongly developed characters and setting.

Watch it if: You enjoy a rollercoaster type horror movie.

And if you liked: The Goonies, The Hole, Evil Dead (2013)

mother!

Director: Darren Aronofsky

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5109784

Review: Not even close to as subtle as it thinks its being but has plenty of interesting imagery and performance to carry it through.

Watch it if: You enjoy something that's more interesting in its texture than anything else.

And if you liked: Black Swan, Synecdoche, New York, Children of Men

Check this out: The Bible

Death Note

Director: Adam Wingard

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1241317

Review: Lacks a clearly focused throughline but brings enough visual fun and interesting character work to carry itself through.

Watch it if: You can get past the inexcusable whitewashing in the casting.

And if you liked: Final Destination 5, The Guest

Check this out: Death Note

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Director: Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3960412

Review: A few duds and predictable as hell but still plenty of great, irreverent laughs along the way.

Watch it if: You enjoy The Lonely Island.

And if you liked: This is Spinal Tap, Hot Rod

The Dark Tower

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648190

Review: Some great pieces of design and a gorgeous score doesn't save a rushed and clearly over-noted plot and an approach that simply does not work.

Watch it if: You're curious about how this turned out.

And if you liked: Dune, Stargate, Warcraft: The Beginning

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Director: Jon Watts

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912

Review: Disjointed in its plotting but novel enough and charming enough to carry it past its flaws.

Watch it if: You want to see a refreshing take on Spider-Man.

And if you liked: Spider-Man, Captain America: Civil War

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Director: Luc Besson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2239822

Review: Runs too long and has hammy dialogue that could turn many off but carries a central charm that's hard to ignore and delivers plenty of visual spectacle to enjoy.

Watch it if: You like a movie that throws a lot of stuff at you.

And if you liked: The Fifth Element, Jupiter Ascending, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Check this out: Valérian and Laureline

David Lynch: The Art Life

Director: Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes and Olivia Neergaard-Holm

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1691152

Review: Textural and organic feeling with a sense of honesty and a fantastic number of visual examples.

Watch it if: You're interested in David Lynch?

And if you liked: Meeting People is Easy, William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

Dunkirk

Director: Christopher Nolan

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5013056

Review: Technically intricate to the point that it becomes somewhat alienating but still delivers enough tension and character to draw you in.

Watch it if: You're interested in a film that risks failing on experimentation rather than succeeding on safety.

And if you liked: Interstellar, Inception

The Big Sick

Director: Michael Showalter

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5462602

Review: Patient with its character building in a way that pulls you in while refusing to take the easy, un-complex path.

Watch it if: You enjoy this particular style of slice-of-life, humour inflected drama.

And if you liked: Obvious Child, Other People

Fifty Shades Darker

Director: James Foley

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4465564

Review: Manages to try so little that the first movie seems hard working with an unfollowable plot and groaning dialogue.

Watch it if: You want to?

And if you liked: Fifty Shades of Grey

Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3890160

Review: Not as tight as it could be but delivers a strong tone on top of some seriously cool action.

Watch it if: You're sick of movies that don't cut to the music.

And if you liked: The Blues Brothers, Drive, Vanishing Point

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Director: Stephen Norrington

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311429

Review: Falls flat in most of its plotting but delivers some nice ideas and some enjoyable production design.

Watch it if: You're interested in seeing a weird mix of reasonably impressive CGI and completely unfinished CGI.

And if you liked: Mystery Men, The Da Vinci Code, Hellboy

Check this out: TITLE

Swiss Army Man

Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinart

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4034354

Review: Delivers awe through strong performances and a non-pretentious backdoor while managing to hold a balance of emotion and comedy well.

Watch it if: You're interested in seeing cinematic profundity being skewered and celebrated.

And if you liked: Where the Wild Things Are, Cast Away, Beasts of Southern Wild

Wonder Woman

Director: Patty Jenkins

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279

Review: Suffers from some pacing issues reducing its heft but has a good through-line and when it works, it very much works.

Watch it if: You want to see a DCEU movie that actually feels good to watch.

And if you liked: Captain America: The First Avenger, The Phantom

Alien: Covenant

Director: Ridley Scott

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204

Review: An odd mixture of effective atmosphere and plodding moments that wind together to make something not entirely dissatisfying but unlikely to knock anyone out either.

Watch it if: You're interested in the Alien universe.

And if you liked: Prometheus, Alien, Jurassic Park

The Punisher (2004)

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330793

Review: Bizarrely inconsistent in tone with no real handle on what it wants to do but at least never bores.

Watch it if: You enjoy being baffled by what a film can come up with to throw at you.

And if you liked: Daredevil, Spider-Man, Super Mario Bros.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Director: James Gunn

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198

Review: Potentially over-ambitious in its setups but delivers so well on so many of them that it elevates itself to a powerful emotional climax.

Watch it if: You're interested in a strongly character driven superhero movie.

And if you liked: Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Civil War, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

T2 Trainspotting

Director: Danny Boyle

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2763304

Review: Drags a little and leaves some aspects dangling but delivers a far more interesting and entertaining followup than anyone could've expected.

Watch it if: You're interested in these characters and this world.

And if you liked: Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, Blade Runner

The Monster Squad

Director: Fred Dekker

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093560

Review: Could have a stronger plot but still delivers on its tone and manages to give the monsters a modern twist while keeping their roots.

Watch it if: You enjoy the particular trend of kid-gang movies that thrived in the 80s.

And if you liked: Fright Night, The Goonies, Hocus Pocus

Kong: Skull Island

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562

Review: Clear in its vision with a strong tone with well-realised characters and some genuinely breathtaking monster action.

Watch it if: You enjoy a fun film that takes its craft and detail seriously.

And if you liked: Godzilla (2014), Jurassic Park, Pacific Rim

Logan

Director: James Mangold

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315342

Review: Poignant in its relationships and tense in its action with a clear sense of tone and some very well handled performances.

Watch it if: You can handle some fairly brutal violence.

And if you liked: The Wolverine, Terminator: 2 Judgment Day, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Get Out

Director: Jordan Peele

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052448

Review: Tense and inventive with an absolutely bizarre plot and a strong clarity of purpose.

Watch it if: You're interested in seeing a fresh new voice in the genre.

And if you liked: The Invitation, The House of the Devil, Under the Skin

Hidden Figures

Director: Theodore Melfi

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340

Review: Informative and entertaining in equal measure with a good handle on what it wants to say and strong characters all round.

Watch it if: You enjoy a lively, feel-good movie that still takes its subject matter seriously.

And if you liked: An Adventure in Space and Time, Selma, Forrest Gump

Inferno

Director: Ron Howard

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3062096

Review: A fairly exhausting ramble that doesn't resolve its mysteries and underwhelms with its turns.

Watch it if: You genuinely feel the need to?

And if you liked: The Da Vinci Code, Now You See Me 2, Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Check this out: Inferno

The LEGO Batman Movie

Director: Chris McKay

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4116284

Review: Jam packed with gags with a breakneck pace and an anything-goes tone that demands a refreshingly huge smile.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that has more laughs during its opening logos than many comedies manage in their entire runtime.

And if you liked: The Lego Movie, Batman: The Movie, Deadpool

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2592614

Review: Never gets boring but collapses in on itself in a mess of flat characters, incomprehensible action and dark sludgy cinematography.

Watch it if: You don't get motion sickness headaches too easily.

And if you liked: Resident Evil, Terminator Genisys, Mad Max

John Wick: Chapter 2

Director: Chad Stahelski

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4425200

Review: Builds on its predecessor well with some creative action and fun additions to the mythology.

Watch it if: You enjoy brutal, spectacle action.

And if you liked: John Wick, The Raid, Crank

The Founder

Director: John Lee Hancock

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276820

Review: Very conventionally put together but is interesting and entertaining enough to carry itself through.

Watch it if: You're interested in McDonald's.

And if you liked: The Social Network, Milk, Glengarry Glen Ross

Other People

Director: Chris Kelly

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4158876

Review: Front-loads the humour a little too heavily but still delivers an intimate portrayal with sensitivity and charm.

Watch it if: You're interested in smaller family drama movies.

And if you liked: Garden State, Transparent, Don't Think Twice

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Director: David Gelb

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772925

Review: Simple and relaxing with an interesting attention to detail and a refreshingly down to earth central subject.

Watch it if: You're ok with being really hungry for sushi afterwards.

And if you liked: Chef's Table, Indie Game: The Movie

Lost in London Live

Disclaimer: This review is based on the live broadcast of the film shoot. For more information click here.

Director: Woody Harrelson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6338476

Review: A genuinely impressive feat that managed to charm through its unpolished nature with a compelling story and real fun.

Watch it if: You're interested in cinematic experiments, but also entertaining ones.

And if you liked: Night on Earth, Birdman, Festen

Split

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4972582

Review: Earns its reveals as it goes with a manic tone and a good deal of fun.

Watch it if: You're ok with a film absolutely running with bonkers ideas.

And if you liked: Friday the 13th, The Visit, Unbreakable

Silence

Director: Martin Scorsese

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490215

Review: Too long but still delivers strong tension and character with a clear sense of tone.

Watch it if: You're interested in films exploring the theme of faith.

And if you liked: Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Apocalypto, There Will Be Blood, Rescue Dawn

Check this out: Silence

Moonlight

Director: Barry Jenkins

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975722

Review: Sensitive and sweet with a clear insight into its material and some seriously stunning performances.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that can be confrontational without being aggressive.

And if you liked: Short Term 12, Elephant

Mascots

Director: Christopher Guest

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4936176

Review: Irreverent and light with plenty of hard, heavy laughs throughout.

Watch it if: You enjoy Christopher Guest movies.

And if you liked: Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, Pitch Perfect

La La Land

Director: Damien Chazelle

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3783958

Review: Light and with a few issues but charms its way in through some genuine heart and charismatic performances.

Watch it if: You like optimistic movies about art.

And if you liked: The Artist, Singin' in the Rain