Kate Bush: Little Shrew review – this devastating film will make you weep at war’s violence against children
Written, directed and soundtracked by Bush, built up from sketches she drew herself, this four-minute animation is suffused with both love and horror - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarThe Warriors review – Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis come out to play with firecracker musical
This concept album based on Walter Hill’s 1979 film features megastar rappers, Hamilton alumni and styles from metalcore to salsa – it is pulled off with breathtaking brio - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarCarrie review – Brian De Palma’s horror masterpiece is a death metal spectacle of carnage
Sissy Spacek unforgettably evolves from ugly duckling to swan to something else entirely in the groundbreaking film of Stephen King’s novel - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarYoung Frankenstein review – Mel Brooks monster comedy is wonderfully alive as ever
Gene Wilder’s giddy brilliance is backed by a tremendous supporting cast and only a few gags lumber as the film is re-released for its 50th anniversary - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarAn Inspector Calls review – Alastair Sim drawing room drama brilliantly exposes its era’s hypocrisies
Sim is superbly insinuating as the detective arriving with a few questions for the complacent residents of a grand Edwardian home - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarChildren of the Cult review – fierce doc about the Osho commune survivors
Courageously covering what Netflix’s Wild Wild Country didn’t, this film confronts those who ran the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh meditation centres with the shocking testimonies of its child victims - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarNo Other Land review – powerful Israel-Palestine documentary is essential viewing
A Palestinian-Israeli collective have documented violence and displacement in a damning new film that offers a stark insider’s look at the conflict - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarBlack Box Diaries review – Japanese journalist’s courageous documentary about her own rape ordeal
Shiori Itō’s account of her sexual assault by a high-profile colleague, and her fight for justice, is a tough but important watch - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarEmilia Pérez review – Jacques Audiard’s riotously entertaining trans Mexican cartel musical
The veteran French director takes a huge gamble with this gritty crime thriller turned glitzy soap opera boasting standout performances from Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarA Nightmare on Elm Street review – jauntily outrageous slasher is still cheerfully crass
Johnny Depp makes his film debut in Wes Craven’s imperfect but entertaining horror that still has considerable black-comic energy - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarWatership Down review – charming rabbit animation still has power to terrify
A band of rabbits must leave their warren to find safety in a film that, even in a digital age, still has the bloody force to scare young minds - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarThe Room Next Door review – Almodóvar’s English-language debut is extravagant and engrossing
Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton give luxuriously self-aware performances as two old friends who are reunited in a doggedly mysterious drama - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarBlack Box Diaries review – inside the remarkable events that triggered Japan’s #MeToo movement
Japanese journalist Shiori Itō tells how she pursued her rape case against a prominent TV executive - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarWoman of the Hour review – Anna Kendrick’s 70s-set true crime thriller is a winner
A serial killer tale unfolds in California’s TV land in the US actor’s fine directorial debut, in which she also stars - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarA Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things review – vivid portrait of 20th-century artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
Mark Cousins’s poetic documentary about the late St Ives-based Scottish artist is among his finest films - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarSmile 2 review – horribly entertaining fright sequel
Naomi Scott shines as a troubled pop star in Parker Finn’s even more gruesome follow-up - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarThe Wild Robot review – lost-in-the-jungle Roz joins animation’s robot greats
Superbly voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, the star of DreamWorks’ classy adaptation of Peter Brown’s bestseller learns to survive on a harsh, uninhabited island - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarThe Apprentice review – Jeremy Strong is the Trump card in measured biopic of the Donald
The Succession star chills as US lawyer Roy Cohn opposite Sebastian Stan as his grasping protege Donald Trump in Ali Abbasi’s intriguing drama - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarSaint Maud review – desire, despair and ‘godgasms’ as Rose Glass’s shocker comes to life
Brogan Gilbert gives an extraordinary performance as the troubled nurse caring for a terminally ill dancer in a compelling adaptation of the 2019 horror film - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarThe Remarkable Life of Ibelin review – moving tale of disabled gamer’s digital double life
Using World of Warcraft-style animation, this documentary tells the story of Mats Steen, a boy with muscular dystrophy whose online popularity was only revealed after his death - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarA Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things review – lovingly eccentric ode to a forgotten abstract painter
The work of the late Scottish artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham is brought to life by this idiosyncratically persuasive Mark Cousins film - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarThe Wild Robot review – heartfelt animated adventure is a soaring success
Peter Brown’s much-loved novel gets turned into a dazzling big-screen film for all ages that’s one of the year’s most entertaining animated offerings - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarSince Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands review – the joy and the fury
This documentary about pioneering female musicians is brilliant – yes, there’s misogyny and betrayal but mainly it’s the sheer elation of being in a gang - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarMadS review – one-shot French horror is an impressive exercise in tension and mood
A joyriding teenager drives headlong into the zombie apocalypse in David Moreau’s euphorically nihilistic film - Catherine Bray
starstarstarstarstarMilisuthando review – a life haunted by, and isolated from, the horrors of apartheid
As a child, Milisuthando Bongela was unaware of white-supremacist South Africa, only to later wake up to the realities of a racialised political system - Phuong Le
starstarstarstarstarEndurance review – Shackleton’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition, relived
Shackleton’s remarkable 1914 mission gets a stirring retelling by the directors of Free Solo as a fine cast of experts search for the remains of his ship - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarTransformers One review – action-packed prequel adds brains to the metal monster smash-ups
Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley brings a blast of energy, sharp wit and an all-star voice cast to this refreshingly different origin tale - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarSuperboys of Malegaon review – boisterous heartwarmer about movie-loving underdogs
Inspired by a true story, this feelgood Indian film is about some Bollywood superfans making their own movies with a cheeky but admirable DIY ethos - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarA Traveler’s Needs review – Isabelle Huppert hypnotises in cool Korean comedy of manners
Huppert plays Iris, a modestly dressed French woman living in Korea who gives French lessons according to a strange procedure of her own that does not seem to involve speaking French - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarIn Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon review – heartfelt portrait of a generational talent
From his era-defining work with Art Garfunkel to the sometimes problematic legacy of 80s hit Graceland, Alex Gibney’s documentary strikes a pure and personal note - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarTerrifier 3 review – killer clown is tooled up for third helping of gleeful gorefest
Not everyone will have the stomach for this much gore, but for genre aficionados this Christmas killing spree is a cut above - Catherine Bray
starstarstarstarstarA Long Journey Home review – family pressures reach boiling point in a shocking documentary
It’s almost painful to watch this oppressive autobiographical film, pieced together from footage the director shot in her family’s Chinese home - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarThe Battle for Laikipia review – clash over Kenyan land is essential viewing
The smouldering conflict between the Samburu community and European settlers is captured in an arrestingly shot, shrewdly edited documentary - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarThe Battle for Laikipia review – brutal impact of British land ownership in Kenya
Illuminating documentary examines the tensions between indigenous pastoralists and commercial ranchers as resources become more scarce during a drought - Phuong Le
starstarstarstarstarThe Room Next Door review – Almodóvar’s stylish end-of-life drama feels emotionally empty
Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore seem constrained in the Spanish director’s uneasy first English-language film, winner of this year’s Venice Golden Lion prize - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarCanary Black review – Kate Beckinsale kicks impeccably chic ass in gender-flipped Taken
Oblivious he’s married to a spy, Beckinsale’s husband is kidnapped – cue the baddies demanding a secret file, some fancy action sequences, lots of gunshots and a nice trenchcoat - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarDon’t Move review – high-concept Netflix survival thriller has its moments
A grieving woman is paralysed by a psychopathic serial killer in a solid Sam Raimi-produced shocker that boasts some genuine suspense - Benjamin Lee
starstarstarstarstarRoad Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band review – still blowing minds after 50 years
Thom Zimny deftly weaves archive footage, recent live performance, candid interviews and fan tributes to create a rich portrait of a modern icon and his legendary band - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarThe World of Tim Burton review – Johnny Depp’s scissorhands can’t cut through the cobwebs and corpses
The Design Museum, LondonThis world-touring exhibition showcases the kooky, gothy director’s early passions and obsessions – but he’s no Edgar Allan Poe - Jonathan Jones
starstarstarstarstarFamily Pack review – Jean Reno is game for a laugh in card-based time-travelling caper
A family playing a game are sent back in time to a medieval village where they must kill werewolves in order to return to the future - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarKenya review – Mexican trans sex worker seeks justice for murdered friend
Gisela Delgadillo’s pulsating debut documentary on the streets of Mexico City follows the magnetic Kenya and her tireless efforts to provide a voice for community - Phuong Le
starstarstarstarstarThe Crime is Mine review – Isabelle Huppert and co revel in Ozon’s frothy French crime caper
Set in 1930s Paris, François Ozon’s theatre-world courtroom comedy is a fizzing if throwaway delight - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarSmile 2 review – gory pop star horror sequel sings a familiar tune
Glossier follow-up to 2022’s hugely successful curse horror is well-made and well-acted but the franchise is struggling to carve out its own identity - Benjamin Lee
starstarstarstarstarThe Rubber-Keyed Wonder: The Story of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum review – glory and geekery
Home computing and the gaming industry have their origins in the iconic early 80s hardware, documented here in an homage to an eccentric pioneer - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarThe Crime Is Mine review – François Ozon’s 1930s crime comedy is a moreish crowdpleaser
Ozon and a stellar cast serve up an entertaining, if shallow caper that shades a little too close to #MeToo - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarTom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party review – 80s solid-rock nostalgia fest is a trip
Fans of the singer’s hits, fluffy mullets (and young Cameron Crowe) are well-served by unseen and remastered footage as this sweet look back ticks all the relevant rock doc boxes - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarSweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare review – flawed Netflix documentary still shocks
The jaw-dropping facts of an elaborate catfishing scheme will surprise those unfamiliar with the story, but they are revealed in a rushed and perfunctory film - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarStudio One Forever review – affectionate look back at LA’s legendary gay club
Frequented by those looking for a refuge from homophobia, this documentary charts the history of the venue and the effort to save its cultural legacy - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarMy Hero Academia: You’re Next review – old-style superhero battle anime with hint of the surreal
The fourth film spin-off from the daffy Japanese X-Men knock-off beams its dream-like action into a flying fortress where victims are turned into superfolk - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarKathleen Is Here review – cuckoo-in-the-nest drama-thriller has a properly nailbiting ending
A young woman leaving the care system returns to her childhood home is a strong directorial debut from acclaimed Irish actor Eva Birthistle - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarKulej. Dwie Strony Medalu review – glossy boxing biopic is Poland’s answer to Raging Bull
An overlong, overly lightweight tale of Poland’s two-time Olympic champion Jerzy Kulej is saved by a rallying last half hour - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarGarçonnières review – male insecurities revealed as film goes back to the man cave
Céline Pernet places a number of willing volunteers in front of a camera and asks them a series of candid questions, and the responses form a fascinating tapestry of experience - Phuong Le
starstarstarstarstarHaunted Ulster Live review – mock Halloween broadcast evokes the spectre of Ghostwatch
Amiable lo-fi horror film presents itself as a live broadcast from a haunted suburban home. It’s well crafted – though unlikely to scare viewers the way the 1992 BBC mockumentary did - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarJigra review – Alia Bhatt is lethal and luminous in sibling jailbreak thriller
Bhatt plays a woman trying to spring her brother from prison in a fictional East Asian state, after he is framed by their rich-kid cousins - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarLonely Planet review - Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth heat up beach-read travel romance
A novelist meets a financier two decades her junior at a writers’ retreat in Morocco, in this welcome addition to a flurry of age-gap romances released this summer - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarTimestalker review – Alice Lowe’s anti-romcom is a darkly hilarious spin through history
The actor and film-maker’s ingenious comedy sees her play a gamut of characters who meet gory ends chasing a not-worth-it love interest - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarBuffalo Kids review – CGI old west adventure with a big, warm heart
Three children and a puppy traverse 19th-century America in this wholesome family film – which is especially admirable for its representation of disability - Catherine Bray
starstarstarstarstarBlitz review – Steve McQueen’s rousing wartime adventure is surprisingly old-fashioned
The director unexpectedly channels The Railway Children as Saoirse Ronan stars as the single mother whose son is evacuated, only to run away in a perilous bid to find her - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarHumanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person review – ethical kills for teen bloodsucker
This offbeat coming-of-age horror comedy about a vampire with qualms about killing humans is stylishly shot by first-time feature director Ariane Louis-Seize - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarDaddy’s Head review – a creature emerges from grief in clever British psychological horror
Director Benjamin Barfoot explores how heartbreak connects with darkness as pre-teen Isaac sees his dead father return - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarThe Three Michaels review – trio of Michael Jackson lookalikes reach for the stars
Documentary follows a group of dedicated celebrity impersonators who band together to turn their passion into a decent living - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarMaya and the Wave review – spotlight on the Brazilian surfer triumphing over a riptide of sexism
Breathtaking footage of Maya Gabeira invigorates a crowd-pleasing doc about her breakthrough in a world of fragile male egos - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarJoker: Folie à Deux review – Lady Gaga electrifies in mediocre musical sequel
Love is in the air for Joaquin Phoenix’s clown prince of chaos in this bold but indulgent comic book musical – lifted by Gaga’s weapons-grade charisma - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarA Different Man review – beauty is skin deep in a surreal dramedy
Sebastian Stan excels as a facially disfigured actor whose life is transformed in Aaron Schimberg’s mordant oddity - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarDie Before You Die review – stunt vlogger goes under in buried-alive survival thriller
A braggart absorbed in writing his own online legend with feats of strength can’t carry off being shoved underground for a spiritual experience - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarThe Friend review – Naomi Watts befriends great dane in sweet, slight drama
An adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s bestselling 2018 novel about a woman dealing with her friend’s suicide is tender and well-acted, if a little messy - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarHouse of Spoils review – Ariana DeBose’s foodie horror is a light snack
The Oscar winner presides over a creepy restaurant in a goofy thriller that offers more for fans of cookery shows than those looking for a scare - Benjamin Lee
starstarstarstarstarV/H/S/Beyond review – charmingly ragged lo-fi horror anthology strikes again
The latest set of found-footage and alien tales packs together a Bollywood witch with a terrifying birthday treat and some very sinister dog daycare - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarMaya and the Wave review – the sea is not the only risk for female big-wave surfer
Documentary about Maya Gabeira’s record-breaking feats almost accidentally tells a story too about the endemic sexism in sport - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarHarder Than the Rock review – reggae’s unsung heroes finally get their moment
Cimarons, the UK’s first reggae band, played with Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley but barely made a penny; this heartwarming film follows their first gig in 30 years - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarSigns of War review – gripping testimony of harrowing march to conflict in Ukraine
Reports and pictures by photojournalist Pierre Crom provide a look back at how events escalated towards the Russian invasion - Phuong Le
starstarstarstarstarMedicine Man: The Stan Brock Story review – life story of America’s healthcare saviour
From British private school outcast to anaconda-wrestling cowboy to philanthropist, Paul Michael Angell’s documentary is of a life less ordinary - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarNever Let Go review – Halle Berry shoulders the mother lode in sinuous survivalist horror
French genre specialist Alexandre Aja’s chiller builds up a palpable sense of menace but fumbles the last act - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarVenom: The Last Dance review – messy sequel ends series with a shrug
Tom Hardy’s agreeably silly Marvel franchise wraps things up in a patchy final adventure that needed a tighter, and funnier, script - Benjamin Lee
starstarstarstarstarMy Freaky Family review – overly quirky and unforgivably mawkish animation
This children’s film about a normal girl in a magical family strives for zany, anarchic fantasy. Unfortunately it’s just boring - Luke Buckmaster
starstarstarstarstarClassified review – Aaron Eckhart hitman thriller mines newspaper ads for coded messages
There is shockingly bad dialogue and a lot of extras waiting to fall over dead as Eckhart’s killer for hire finds all is not what it seems - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarRebellious review – hero princess kidnapped by evil witch in tale looking for feminist cred
Even with a feisty female protagonist the convulted plot of this kids’ animation is full of outdated stereotypes and barely scrapes past the Bechdel test - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarMatt and Mara review – lo-fi answer to When Harry Met Sally offers uncertain relationship
This lo-fi Canadian dramedy feels like an excursion into nothing much, as a vague college friendship is rekindled - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarBrothers review – throwaway madcap comedy wastes a host of stars
Peter Dinklage, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei and Brendan Fraser are lost in this brief and silly Amazon caper about low-level criminals - Jesse Hassenger
starstarstarstarstarCome Alive! review – acrobatic spectacle squanders The Greatest Showman’s songs
While there is strength and skill on display, this circus show lacks a knockout performance and the film’s enduring anthems don’t always fit the action - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarThe Apprentice review – cartoon version of chump-in-chief Donald Trump’s early years
Ali Abbasi’s film presents young Donald as an amoral narcissist, wastes the talent of Jeremy Strong and includes a grisly rape scene that is quickly glossed over - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarMembers Club review – male strippers meet bloodthirsty witches in gory comedy horror
Hapless dance troupe Wet Dreams get a taste of the dark arts when they’re lured to a gig to raise the dead. Plus: a cameo from Peter Andre - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarChildren of the Pines review – David Lynch-style teen-angst horror takes a big leap
The emphasis is on the psychological in Joshua Morgan’s ambitious debut feature of family dysfunction, but it just doesn’t come together - Catherine Bray
starstarstarstarstarTimestalker review – reincarnation romcom with nowhere to go
A woman pursues her beloved across centuries in Prevenge director and star Alice Lowe’s intriguing yet disappointing second feature - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarSalem’s Lot review – anaemic adaptation of Stephen King’s 70s vampire novel
Don’t expect any deeper themes in Gary Dauberman’s clunking take on the US writer’s much-adapted small-town horror - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarEndurance review – search for Shackleton’s Antarctic wreck overshadowed by history
Shackleton’s truly perilous 1915 ordeal – gussied up with colourised footage and AI voices – minimises the stakes of a 2022 hunt for its remains by Dan Snow and friends - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarThe Last of the Sea Women review – female Korean divers as picturesque eco-feminist tradition
Sue Kim’s film about South Korea’s underwater fishers has everything from nuclear pollution to sexism to cover, but sticks to bland reportage - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarStuntman review – spirited love letter to golden age of Hong Kong’s action movies
Stephen Tung plays a former 80s director-stuntman drawn back into the present-day action-film industry as it faces an identity crisis - Leslie Felperin
starstarstarstarstarIn Her Place review – true-crime drama of a court worker fascinated by author in the dock
Based on a real murder in Chile in the 1950s, Maite Alberdi’s fictional story of obsession has glamour and style, but no intensity - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarTake Cover review – Scott Adkins hitman thriller makes Fast & Furious look like Gilbert and Sullivan
Adkins’ veteran hitman goes against all action movie wisdom to accept ‘one last job’ – and promptly gets trapped in a hotel room and shot at - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarSound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot review – Sound of Freedom followup is a test of faith
Based on remarkable work in a small Texan community to adopt children considered ‘too difficult’ to foster, the film gets lost in saccharine cliche - Phuong Le
starstarstarstarstarPortraits of Dangerous Women review – dog car crash sets off baffling and peculiar drama
Three unlikely women are pitched together by a muddled plot with results that are short on both drama and comedy - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarThe Platform 2 review – Netflix dystopian horror sequel falls off
A follow-up to the gory pandemic smash returns to the grim world where prisoners must portion out food or risk death but the novelty has gone - Jesse Hassenger
starstarstarstarstarHold Your Breath review – Sarah Paulson gets lost in scattered horror
A 1930s-set thriller, about a family battling mysterious dust storms and a possible intruder, is impressively made and acted but falls apart by the end - Benjamin Lee
starstarstarstarstarSalem’s Lot review – Stephen King’s small-town vampire rework lacks bite
After being kept on the shelf for three years, a middling adaptation of the 1975 novel proves to be a lacklustre non-event even for hardcore genre fans - Benjamin Lee
starstarstarstarstarBlood Star review – young tearaway fights for survival in cat-and-mouse thriller
Vintage-car driver is chased through New Mexico by a small-town sheriff in Lawrence Jacomelli’s snappily shot debut - Phil Hoad
starstarstarstarstarThe Deserving review – mute serial killer yarn takes cues from horror classics of the past
A murderer is tormented by the ghosts of his victims in this frustrating story that doesn’t have the storytelling heft its premise deserves - Catherine Bray
starstarstarstarstarThings Will Be Different review – time travel thriller as a robber tries escape with the cash
An estranged brother and sister reunite while hiding from the police in a remote barn that holds a secret procedure to transport people into the future - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarWolfs review – forgettable Clooney-Pitt vehicle soon runs out of gas
Even the combined charm of its two leads cannot elevate this one-joke comedy-thriller about two underworld fixers double-booked on a job - Wendy Ide
starstarstarstarstarInherit the Witch review – like an am-dram theatre group doing a murder mystery party in an Airbnb
Pseudo-schlock such as Sharknado is trying to be so bad it’s good – this is just bad - Catherine Bray
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