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  Certificate: 12A Running time: 119 minutes  Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Taika Waititi Directed by: Taika Waititi The story: Thor must enlist the help of King Valkyrie and ex girlfriend Jane Foster when Gorr the God Butcher sets out to destroy every god in existence. The verdict: When something appears to be readily available and abundant, it is often taken for granted. Thus as the Marvel franchise releases its 29th instalment, some audiences have begun to demand more and more from each new film, seemingly never quite satisfied. But what Marvel does well, and has always done well, is to provide audiences with incredibly entertaining and engaging films featuring lovable characters - which is exactly what Thor: Love and Thunder does. This film has a great mix of characters with some old favourites making an appearance as well as some absolutely brilliant cameos. In particular the camaraderie between Thor and Korg...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 160 minutes  Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh Directed by: Baz Luhrmann The story: Elvis follows the rise of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley and his complicated relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The verdict: Bursting onto the screen with whiplash force, Elvis marks a triumphant return to film for director Baz Luhrmann after a nine year hiatus.  From the opening shot to the closing credits, Elvis is a juggernaut of a film. It’s big, brash, vibrant and unrelenting - and boy is it good. As with any biopic, audiences should be aware that the events in question will very likely have been overdramatised or sensationalised. Elvis does a pretty good job of not playing too fast and loose with the facts and the story being told from the point of view of Colonel Tom Parker rather than Elvis himself is a clever way of letting the audience know that this is only one perspective of ...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 126 minutes  Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams Directed by: Sam Raimi The story: Doctor Strange faces a shocking new adversary as he finds himself traversing the many dangerous realities of the multiverse. The verdict: I couldn’t help but feel a little bit like a naughty child whilst watching this film. Not because there is anything childish about the film (there definitely isn’t - more on that later) but because I think this may end up as one of the most divisive entries of the MCU thus far. I can’t wait to see the bemoaned cries of those who take umbridge with certain elements, fully knowing that those elements are likely to be the ones I enjoyed the most. As you can imagine if you ask an acclaimed horror director to direct a film, then don’t be surprised when the result is a film that could give you nightmares. Sam Raimi thrives in the horror genre and Doctor Strange in the Multiv...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 137 minutes  Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claes Bang Directed by: Robert Eggers The story: After his father is brutally murdered, a son sets out on a violent quest to avenge him. The verdict: Robert Eggers has already shown with his previous films that he has incredible visual flair and one wondered what he might be able to achieve if given the budget of a blockbuster. Would Eggers auteurism  somehow get lost in amongst studio expectations? Thankfully the answer to that is a resounding no. The Northman is a visual spectacle. Set in the Nordic wilds, the scenery and setting is a character within itself. Stark yet stunning, every scene is elevated by the vistas. Eggers once again joins forces with cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, who he also worked with on The Lighthouse and The VVitch, and the cinematography is sublime. The Northman is so well crafted and well shot and it looks ...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 136 minutes  Starring: Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, William Nadylam Directed by: David Yates The story: As Grindelwald moves forward with his plans to rule over all non-magical beings, Dumbledore enlists Newt Scamander to help stop him. The verdict:   Accio trilogy! Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore marks the release of the third film in the Fantastic Beasts series and sees audiences once again transported back to magic of the wizarding world. Carrying straight on from the events of the second film, Crimes of Grindelwald, the third instalment sees Albus Dumbledore join forces with Newt Scamander in an effort to thwart dark wizard Grindelwald. With his plans to eradicate all non-magical beings, Grindelwald begins to build an ever increasing band of devout followers. The films of the wizarding world are at their best when beloved characters and close friends...

  Certificate: 18 Running time: 106 minutes  Starring: Mia Goth, Brittany Snow, Jenny Ortega, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell Directed by: Ti West The story: In the seventies, a group of filmmakers decide to make an adult film at a secluded farmhouse where their hosts take a special interest in them. The verdict: Working as an homage to both horror and seventies filmmaking, X is a great throwback to the slasher movies of old whilst simultaneously maintaining the self referential quality often found in modern horror. Though that may sound a heady mix, X works really well in finding a balance between feeling familiar and being new.  The premise is a fun one and one that will certainly strike a chord with anyone who has any experience of low budget filmmaking. The cast is great with everyone working in a way that makes it easy to imagine that this is a real cast and crew - which of course it also is and therein lies the cleverness of X. X builds its way to the ou...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 106 minutes  Starring: Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Jake Davies, Christian Lees, Jonah Lees, Rhys Ifans Directed by: Craig Roberts The story: In 1976, Maurice Flitcroft decides to take part in The British Open Golf Championship despite having never played golf. The verdict: Sometimes the best films are the ones that simply bring a smile to your face and The Phantom of the Open is without a doubt a film that was watched accompanied by a big cheesy grin.  Based on a true story, these characters are so easy to root for and so easy to like. Maurice’s unrelenting optimism and determination, his wife Jean’s unconditional support and their sons’ ambitions to chase their own dreams all add up to making a family that the audience becomes a part of for the duration of the film. Being so invested in the Flitcrofts meant that the film was highly engaging throughout and the running time flew by. The Phantom of the Open also strikes a really good balan...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 176 minutes  Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis Directed by: Matt Reeves The story: When a serial killer begins to leave cryptic clues all over Gotham City, Batman must work to uncover the culprit. Meanwhile, corruption threatens to tear the city apart from the inside. The verdict: Robert Pattinson, an actor who is often unfairly berated, yet again proves his naysayers wrong in Matt Reeves’ take on the caped crusader. In The Batman, the eponymous character is tortured and sleepless - kept awake by the weight of his family’s legacy and haunted by his parents’ untimely deaths. He wears dark makeup under his black cowl, which only highlights the torment in his eyes and he prefers to spend his time alone in rooms scant of light. Often Bruce Wayne and Batman go hand in hand, but in The Batman, Wayne takes a backseat to his alter ego in a way that he hasn’t in previous films featuring th...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 123 minutes  Starring: Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Ben Mendelsohn  Directed by: Joe Wright The story: Though brilliant in many ways, Cyrano de Bergerac is convinced that his appearance means that the woman that he has long loved will never love him back and instead agrees to help her pursue another man. The verdict: The story of Cyrano de Bergerac is no stranger to being shown on screen and director Joe Wright’s version is the latest adaptation to throw its hat into the ring. This version, written by Erica Schmidt, is based on Schmidt’s 2018 play, which in turn was based on the original 1897 play by Edmund Rostand. Some audiences may be surprised to learn that Cyrano is actually a musical and certainly it feels very theatrical in both its staging and visuals. The musical numbers are engaging and performed well. However, when it comes to leaving a lasting impression, it is unlikely that cinema goers will leave the...

    Certificate: 12A Running time: 127 minutes  Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Annette Benning, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Letitia Wright, Jennifer Saunders Directed by: Kenneth Branagh  The story: Famous detective Hercule Poirot’s trip to Egypt is interrupted when a murder occurs on a newlyweds’ idyllic honeymoon. The verdict: Plagued by both the pandemic (it was originally scheduled for release in 2019) and by controversies surrounding several of its leading cast, Death on the Nile has been a long time coming. Rather than arriving with the glitzy fanfare in which its trailer suggested, instead it seems to have snuck in to the 2022 release schedule as the Kenneth Branagh directed film that isn’t Belfast.  2017’s Murder on the Orient Express was a sleeper hit and audiences had every right to eagerly anticipate another surprise hit. Unfortunately, Death on the Nile doesn’t...