Five star - Latest Top Rated Film Reviews from the Guardian

Maeve review – rapturously stark realist prose poem of 80s Belfast
Pat Murphy’s movie follows a young woman returning to Northern Ireland and a reckoning with sneering soldiers, brutal police and sexist hostility - Peter Bradshaw
Nomadland review – Frances McDormand delivers the performance of her career
McDormand plays a boomer forced out of her home and on to the road in Chloé Zhao’s inspired docu-fiction - Peter Bradshaw
Sisters With Transistors review – an electrifying study of musical heroines
The unsung trailblazers behind electronic music are paid harmonic homage in Lisa Rovner’s enchanting documentary - Leslie Felperin
Promising Young Woman review – a deathly dark satire of gender politics
Carey Mulligan is at her ice-cold best as a scheming sociopath in this fearless unpicking of entitlement and victimhood - Peter Bradshaw
The Swordsman review – thrilling fight scenes in spectacular Korean action drama
An intricate tapestry of 17th-century political intrigue and family feuding is bolstered by fabulous costumes as Chinese invaders are dealt with - Leslie Felperin
Born in Flames review – subversive spirit of 80s agitprop lives on
Lizzie Borden’s restored and rereleased radical feminist movie is just as scrappy and smart as it was in 1983 - Peter Bradshaw
Undergods review – a visionary dystopian anthology
Chino Moya’s debut is a haunting trilogy of stories that have totalitarianism in their surrealist, satirical sights - Phil Hoad
Servants review – evil permeates a Catholic seminary
Shame, self-reproach and secret communications fill this deeply disturbing story of two students in 80s Czechoslovakia - Peter Bradshaw
Apples review – a poignant tale of global memory loss
The world is hit by amnesia in Christos Nikou’s striking debut feature - Mark Kermode Observer film critic
New York City Ballet review – Sofia Coppola’s beautiful, intimate portrait
For the company’s spring gala, the director tracks dancers backstage and on stage as they perform Robbins, Balanchine and a new work by Justin Peck - Lyndsey Winship
Johnny Mnemonic review – Keanu test-drives early Matrix prototype
Keanu Reeves is in impeccably robotic form as a data courier on the run in this 1995 adaptation of William Gibson’s cyberpunk story set in 2021 - Peter Bradshaw
Cowboys review – Steve Zahn brings his A-game to warm Montana trans drama
Roguish Troy is adored by his transgender son Joe – leaving ex-wife Sally the unglamorous job of care-giving - Peter Bradshaw
In Short, Europe: Happy Together review – a union uplifted by humour
From sweet-talking translators to a symphony of shepherds’ calls, the common currency in this refreshing selection of short films from 19 European countries is amusement - Phil Hoad
Identifying Features review – a haunting portrayal of Mexico’s missing people
In this accomplished debut, a single mother refuses to give up hope while searching for her lost son - Simran Hans
Nomadland review – Chloe Zhao’s triumphant ode to community
Zhao’s triple Oscar winner, inspired by the ‘new nomads’ of recession-hit America, eschews conflict in favour of quiet humanity - Mark Kermode Observer film critic
The Mitchells vs the Machines review – a cranky AI gets her revenge
Olivia Colman voices the furious, Siri-like being who hijacks a family road trip in this hugely enjoyable Netflix animation - Simran Hans
Pariah Dog review – lyrical portrait of Kolkata’s canine carers
This heartfelt documentary focuses on free-ranging dogs and the people on the fringes of Indian society who care for them - Andrew Pulver
Identifying Features review – horror and heartbreak in Mexico’s borderlands
First-time director Fernanda Valadez conjures up a vision of real evil in her story of the terrors faced by migrants into the US - Peter Bradshaw
Labyrinth of Cinema review – cult Japanese director’s epic blitz of pop-culture hyperactivity
Nobuhiko Ôbayashi’s last work starts as a sentimental elegy to cinema-going’s golden age but takes us through the heart of Japanese darkness - Peter Bradshaw
Sisters With Transistors review – a gloriously geeky music doc
Laurie Anderson narrates this fascinating film about the female pioneers of electronic music - Wendy Ide
Homeward review – a moving modern-day Crimean war story
A Tatar father and son are united in grief in this striking Ukrainian road-trip drama across a war-torn land - Wendy Ide
Black Bear review – Aubrey Plaza hits career high in ingenious meta-movie
Social tensions spiral towards disaster before a cryptic rug-pull in this strange comedy gem - Peter Bradshaw
The Mitchells vs the Machines review – frantic and fun Netflix animation
A family fends off a robot apocalypse in a vibrant and genuinely funny adventure that was originally intended to be a theatrical release - Benjamin Lee
Valley of Souls review – quietly devastating Colombian drama
The tale of a fisher’s quest to retrieve his sons’ bodies during Colombia’s reign of terror manages to find beauty and even tragicomedy amid the darkness - Simran Hans
Those Who Wish Me Dead review – Angelina Jolie feels the heat in forest fire thriller
Angry, boozy and haunted by her past, a smoke-jumper faces unexpected dangers in this fierce action film set in the Montana wilderness - Peter Bradshaw
The Secrets We Keep review – Noomi Rapace brings light and shade to pulpy drama
Director Yuval Adler keeps the audience guessing about the identity of a tall, blond stranger in 1950s suburban mystery - Leslie Felperin
A Space in Time review – lyrical portrait of a family facing an incurable disorder
This poignant documentary about two young brothers with Duchenne muscular dystrophy celebrates the power of love and togetherness - Phuong Le
Objector review – Israeli anti-occupation documentary wears its politics on its sleeve
Molly Stuart’s film about a woman imprisoned for refusing to do military service paints a fascinating portrait of a country riven by conflict - Leslie Felperin
Once Upon a River review – a meandering story of survival
The teenage lead’s performance is the highlight of this film about a Native American girl’s search for her estranged mother - Wendy Ide
Charlatan review – inside the mind of a prickly mystic
Agnieszka Holland’s austere drama about a famous Czech healer sets his internal conflict against the turbulence of eastern Europe - Wendy Ide
Once Upon a River review – teenager’s waterborne tale of survival
A resourceful girl goes in search of her mother in first-time feature director Haroula Rose’s slice of Americana - Cath Clarke
Monster review – Kelvin Harrison Jr anchors wrenching Netflix drama
Another standout performance from the young actor lifts a sturdy, if at times uneven, tale of a teen unknowingly caught up in a crime - Benjamin Lee
Wrath of Man review – Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham reunite in punchy thriller
While hinged on a threadbare plot as familiar as it is forgettable, this sinewy action B-movie delivers just about enough primal entertainment - Benjamin Lee
The United Way review – Eric Cantona’s over-simple Manchester United history
The European Super League fiasco makes this golden age retrospective seem naive in ignoring the club’s commercialisation - Peter Bradshaw
Citizen Penn review – Hollywood star’s vanity project lifts Haiti
This documentary about Sean Penn’s response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti may be self-congratulatory, but the actor has had an undeniable impact - Peter Bradshaw
Apples review – quirky amnesia mystery is funnily forgettable
Christos Nikou’s black comedy about a plague of forgetfulness is intriguingly absurd but not as memorable as it thinks it is - Peter Bradshaw
Little Fish review – all-too-brief encounter in the midst of amnesia pandemic
Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell are the young couple trying to preserve memories of their romance in this story of doomed love - Peter Bradshaw
Blacks Can’t Swim: The Sequel review – follow-up doc makes a splash
Ed Accura adds dramatised sections to his 2020 film investigating the lack of black swimmers in the UK - Phil Hoad
Fried Barry review – alien’s scuzzy body-horror odyssey in Cape Town
An extraterrestrial picks a junkie to inhabit in this seedy, inconsistently acted but often sharply comic urban tale - Leslie Felperin
End of Sentence review – a masterclass in understated acting
John Hawkes is at his beguiling best as a man on a road trip with his estranged son in Elfar Adalstein’s flawed, fascinating debut - Phuong Le
Charlatan review – a fascinating, frustrating tale of bottled-up emotion
Agnieszka Holland once again proves she is the real deal with this austere biopic of a faith healer in 30s Czechoslovakia - Peter Bradshaw
Betrayed review – restrained depiction of Norway’s Holocaust victims
This account of the internment of a Jewish boxer from Oslo packs an emotional punch, but pulls back from displaying any real horrors - Cath Clarke
Star Wars: the Bad Batch review – badass clones strike back
Following on from the long-running animation Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this new Disney+ series boasts mutant renegades and action-packed fight scenes. May the fourth be with you! - Jack Seale
Lucky review – spirited Ghanaian romcom captures the social media age
An idling student enlists the help of a wideboy friend in pursuit of a hot date in a comedy that veers between likable and laddish - Phuong Le
Atlantis review – strangely upbeat exploration of war-ravaged Ukraine
Valentyn Vasyanovych’s award-winning drama casts deeply likable non-professionals – most with direct experience of the conflict with Russia - Leslie Felperin
The Disciple review – Indian classical musician sings a lonely tune
Years of adherence to stringent rules leave a performer at odds with society in this melancholy film from India’s first Venice competitor for two decades - Xan Brooks
The Artist’s Wife review – incomplete portrait of a dysfunctional marriage
The story of Claire, played by Lena Olin, thwarted in her own artistic ambitions, could have been a force for feminism, but the camera’s gaze is instead fixated on how gorgeous she is - Cath Clarke
Danny. Legend. God. review – Borat-style mockumentary about Bulgarian wideboy
Mockumentary creates super-annoying character as it transforms into something much more hard-faced - Phil Hoad
The Bike Thief review – a clear-eyed, unsentimental study of immigrant life
The day-to-day struggles of the urban working class are moved from Rome to London in update of neorealist classic - Phuong Le
Aviva review – an experimental study of love, sex and gender
Director Boaz Yakin explores through dance the male and female aspects of his central characters, each played by both a man and a woman - Cath Clarke
Black Bear review – Aubrey Plaza shows her volcanic side
The Parks and Recreation actor plays to type, and against, in this enjoyable if self-conscious dramedy set in the fraught world of indie film-making - Simran Hans
The Ride review – life lessons on the road to BMX glory
Ludacris and Shane Graham spar as foster father and son in this inspirational story of real-life BMX star John Buultjens - Phil Hoad
House of Cardin review – genial fashion futurist with an eye for expansion
Aside from some breathless celebrity endorsements, Pierre Cardin comes across as a designer ahead of his time, explored in a respectful, decent doc - Andrew Pulver
Red Moon Tide review – sea spirits haunt the Spanish coast
A fishing community becomes frozen in time by the disappearance of a local hero, in this unsettling and austerely poetic tale - Steve Rose
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies review – Star Wars film boss gets his name up in lights
Alan Ladd Jr greenlit Star Wars, Alien, The Omen and many more – winning the lasting admiration of countless directors and actors. Now, his daughter has made a heartfelt celluloid tribute to the producer - Andrew Pulver
Cielo review – love letter to the desert’s starry skies
Alison McAlpine’s documentary draws out tales from locals and astronomers to evoke the magic and mystery of Chile’s stargazing hotspot - Cath Clarke
The Seventh Day review – Guy Pearce’s hipster priest dices with the devil
Training Day meets the Exorcist in this satanic horror as a nattily dressed cleric reveals the ways of evil to a young acolyte - Leslie Felperin
Stowaway review – a devastating dilemma drives tense Netflix sci-fi
Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette star in a believably wrought drama about an oxygen emergency that ends up losing air in the finale - Benjamin Lee
The Race to Save the World review – paying the price for climate change protest
Joe Gantz’s documentary about the strain on activists’ family life is served with lashings of soppy music and corny montages - Leslie Felperin
Spring Blossom review – a fleeting affair with heart
Suzanne Lindon’s debut skirts the line between schoolgirl crush and exploitation as it charts her romance with an older man, while neatly avoiding cliché - Steve Rose
The Last Photograph review – Danny Huston’s faded snapshot of a father’s grief
Despite its moving flashbacks, Huston’s tale of a bookshop owner bereaved by the Lockerbie bombing fails to sustain an emotional edge - Cath Clarke
Fear of Rain review – lurid horror film takes aim at mental illness stereotypes
Teenager with schizophrenia meets creepy neighbour in a thriller that explores doubt and believability - Cath Clarke
The Oak Room review – bar-room tales brew up a storm
A father’s legacy is in dispute when wayward son RJ Mitte decides to spar with the barman who guards the man’s ashes - Phil Hoad
Homeward review – Crimean Tatars on a heartbreaking odyssey
A father and son confront personal and historic agonies on the road to bury their loved one in the land from where their people were displaced - Phuong Le
Sofia review – Moroccan society through the eyes of an unwed mother
Meryem Benm’Barek’s smart debut lays bare the scandalous consequences for a Casablanca woman who finds herself single and pregnant - Cath Clarke
Cranston Academy: Monster Zone review – colourful if derivative Hogwartsian animation
Two students at the Cranston Academy unleash a portal of monsters in a busy family offering from Mexico’s Anima Estudios - Leslie Felperin
True Mothers review – tender Japanese adoption drama
An adoptive mother is confronted by a woman claiming to be her son’s biological mother in this compassionate tale told from both sides - Simran Hans
Groundswell review – the fight against fracking in Ireland
Johnny Gogan’s documentary highlights the misconceived plans of corporations that hoped to avoid protesters - Peter Bradshaw
Promising Young Woman review – Carey Mulligan’s avenging angel burns bright
As a medical school dropout spiralling between grief, rage and revenge, Mulligan takes Emerald Fennell’s Oscar contender to the next level - Wendy Ide
Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story review – disturbing scenes
There is little joy found in this warts-and-all profile of troubled animator John Kricfalusi, which traces alleged abuse and dysfunction in his former studio - Andrew Pulver
Ride or Die review – bloody revenge and blossoming love in shocking Japanese thriller
A young woman hits the road with the killer of her abusive husband in Ryūichi Hiroki’s adaptation of cult manga series - Phuong Le
Great White review – hangry shark thriller gets stuck in the shallows
A killer shark movie shoehorns climate change in to a very familiar narrative, though the CGI beast is impressive - Cath Clarke
Army of the Dead review – Zack Snyder’s zombie splatterfest is a wit-free zone
A muscle-bound crew of mercenaries infiltrate a Las Vegas full of zombies in Snyder’s uninspired Netflix horror-thriller - Peter Bradshaw
Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb review – pants ants antics
The third instalment in the animated insect franchise for kids is a buzz-free disappointment - Cath Clarke
The Lady in the Portrait review – painterly pageantry in a Chinese royal court
Fan Bingbing stars as an emperor’s wife having her portrait painted in this artful yet inert period drama - Mike McCahill
Cowboys review – progressive, predictable Montana trans tale
Steve Zahn plays against type in this well-meaning but clunking drama about a couple who clash over their trans child - Wendy Ide
Mortal Kombat review – schlock video game adaptation packs a small punch
A silly and dated new attempt to transport the classic fighting game to the big screen is a late-night drunk watch at best - Benjamin Lee
We Still Say Grace review – religious horror strays from the path of credibility
An isolated family of women, ruled over by wrathful father Bruce Davison, encounter temptation in a wildly unconvincing tale - Cath Clarke
Wild Mountain Thyme review – farcical farming romcom
Bad Irish accents abound as Emily Blunt attempts to woo Jamie Dornan’s farmer next door in this bizarre offering from the writer of Moonstruck - Simran Hans
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation review – reverently unrevealing
This documentary about two of the deep south’s most celebrated gay writers fails to illuminate their sometimes troubled friendship - Peter Bradshaw
Threshold review – road trip out of hell in iPhone horror
A brother and sister try to escape a satanic spell in this cruddy horror story shot entirely on iPhones - Leslie Felperin
Safer at Home review – gimmicky pandemic thriller feels very 2020
A strong whiff of phoniness hangs over this derivative tale of a drunken Zoom-call birthday party that gets out of hand - Cath Clarke
Things Heard and Seen review – moody Netflix ghost story fails to haunt
Amanda Seyfried is a woman coming undone, thanks to a supernatural entity and a toxic husband, in a strangely inert combination of horror and drama - Charles Bramesco
The Virtuoso review – Anthony Hopkins on autopilot for dull hitman thriller
Once you’ve worked out the big climactic twist after 15 minutes, you’ll know this story of a strictly amateur master assassin is firing blanks - Leslie Felperin
Sheep Without a Shepherd review – perky Chinese thriller that toes the line too carefully
A father uses his obsession with the movies to help his daughter when she is unjustly suspected of murder - Phil Hoad
Here Are the Young Men review – Anya Taylor-Joy and the bad boys
Three Dublin lads and their super-smart classmate face an uncertain future in a tale that hints at disturbing possibilities but doesn’t follow through - Peter Bradshaw
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse review – macho adventure plays by the book
Michael B Jordan stars as a Navy Seal out for revenge in this formulaic update of Clancy’s 1993 bestseller - Peter Bradshaw
Counter Histories: Rock Hill review – landmark segregation protest gets muddled documentary
Directorial tricks lessen the impact of this film assessing a key moment in the US civil rights struggle - Phuong Le
Forget Everything and Run review – scenic zombie adventure lacks bite
Full of resonance, this low-budget actioner about a world struck by a deadly virus flatlines after a promising opening act - Steve Rose
Clapboard Jungle review – confessions of an indie horror film director
Canadian director Justin McConnell has created a self-indulgent selfie-fest – I’d pass on his fantasy horror too - Peter Bradshaw
Ip Man: Kung Fu Master review – stylish martial arts potboiler
Li Liming’s film takes itself a bit too seriously, but fight fans will enjoy the nifty and inventive combat scenes - Leslie Felperin
Steelers review – doc tackles queer rugby’s small moments and big struggles
This moving documentary attempts to modernise a musty film narrative about LGBTQ people and sport with plenty of verve but not quite enough context - Benjamin Lee
Into the Labyrinth review – Dustin Hoffman psycho-thriller goes down a rabbit hole
The Hollywood star and Italian veteran Toni Servillo attempt to solve a mysterious abduction – a race hampered by never appearing in the same scene - Peter Bradshaw
When Jeff Tried to Save the World review – slacker movie is an underachiever
Where’s the Dude when you need him? Bowling alley-set directorial debut would score with more laughs and more feeling - Cath Clarke
Portal review – close encounters of the disappointing kind
A million alien portals open on Earth in this trio of sci-fi shorts – but the effect is bland, not awe-inspiring - Cath Clarke
The Unholy review – Satan continues to inspire the very worst films
A poorly made horror takes an interesting concept, from a James Herbert novel, and squanders it with ineffective visuals and a dearth of scares - Benjamin Lee
Wild Mountain Thyme review – Emily Blunt in an awful Irish stew
This bucolic romance, co-starring bashful Jamie Dornan, is awash with whimsy, wonder – and laughable accents - Peter Bradshaw
The Resort review – inane horror film or a sophisticated meta-joke?
Perhaps the director and his pals fancied a free holiday in Hawaii or wanted to make a calling card for a gig making episodes of Love Island - Leslie Felperin
Beast Beast review – insultingly shallow take on gun violence
Story of multi-ethnic Gen Z-ers in the southern US seems more interested in checking off a list of liberal talking points than lending its characters depth - Phuong Le
The Reckoning review – witch movie descends into misogynistic torture ordeal
At first, this horror about a woman accused of witchcraft is merely bad. Then it becomes unwatchable - Cath Clarke