Five star - Latest Top Rated Film Reviews from the Guardian

Carrie 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
Young 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
An 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
Children 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
No 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
Nickel Boys review – Colson Whitehead novel becomes intensely moving story of a racist reform school
Adaptation of Whitehead’s novel about two young friends trapped by institutional abuse is told with piercing beauty by RaMell Ross - Peter Bradshaw
Paul McCartney and Wings: One Hand Clapping review – restored rockumentary is pure pleasure
David Litchfield’s lost 1974 film captures McCartney’s extraordinary enthusiasm and skill, some killer tunes and a whole host of hilarious incidentals - Peter Bradshaw
A 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
The 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
Since 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
MadS 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
Milisuthando 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
Endurance 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
Transformers 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
Superboys 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
A 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
In 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
Terrifier 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
A 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
The 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
The 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
My Old Ass review – time-bending coming-of-age comedy with real heart and depth
Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza are a winning duo playing their present and future selves in Megan Park’s silly but surprisingly satisfying film - Wendy Ide
The Outrun review – Saoirse Ronan impresses in a refreshingly unconventional recovery drama
The actor excels as an alcoholic who returns to Orkney in Nora Fingscheidt’s fine adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir - Wendy Ide
The Outrun review – Saoirse Ronan is mesmerising in sobering addiction drama
Heart-wrenching story adapted from Amy Liptrot’s memoir is as tough as its Orkney landscapes - Peter Bradshaw
Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives review – fresh take on pregnant-woman-in-peril horror
Unfolding in what looks like a single take, Thomas Sieben sends his protagonist into a house that’s haunted by historical trauma - Catherine Bray
Bill Douglas: My Best Friend review – inspirational and tender portrait of a brilliant director
Jack Archer’s intimate documentary traces Douglas’s bond with social worker Peter Jewell with tremendous warmth - Peter Bradshaw
On Falling review – the strip mining of an online warehouse worker’s sanity
Laura Carreira’s impressive debut drama sees a quietly excellent Joana Santos endure dehumanising work conditions while looking for a way out - Peter Bradshaw
Runt review – old-fashioned dog tale doesn’t need new tricks
A rescue terrier shines in this charming adaptation of the children’s book about a dog whose tournament skills might just save the family farm - Luke Buckmaster
The 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
The 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
Tom 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
Sweet 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
Studio 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
My 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
Kathleen 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
Kulej. 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
Garçonnières 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
Haunted 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
Jigra 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
Lonely 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
Timestalker 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
Buffalo 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
Blitz 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
Humanist 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
Daddy’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
The 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
Maya 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
Joker: 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
A 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
Die 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
The 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
House 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
V/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
Maya 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
Harder 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
Signs 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
Medicine 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
Never 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
Will & Harper review – Will Ferrell hits the road with a newly transitioned pal
Josh Greenbaum funny and poignant documentary follows the comedian and his old friend across the US in a likable portrait that never quite rings true - Wendy Ide
Lady Gaga: Harlequin review – Joker companion album does jazz standards with a gaudy grin
The pop superstar sounds fully in her element in these immaculately covered classics, but the whiff of big band week on The X Factor is hard to shift - Michael Cragg
The Teacher review – a Palestinian educator is troubled by his radical past
Saleh Bakri commands the screen as a teacher promoting nonviolence, who falls for British volunteer Imogen Poots while trying to protect a student looking for revenge - Peter Bradshaw
Unit 234: The Lock Up review – storage facility holds deadly secrets in fun thriller
Orphan’s Isabelle Fuhrman is great as a bored quarter-lifer taking on tough-guy Don Johnson, who is having a lot of fun prowling the corridors in search of his dubious deposit - Catherine Bray
Dragonkeeper review – kids’ animation in which a girl must save China’s last fire breathers
This adaptation of Carole Wilkinson’s children’s fantasy novel is let down by fairly average animation, oddly bland characters and some ill-fitting Bill Nighy-ness - Cath Clarke
The Fall review – startling imagery abounds in Tarsem Singh’s cult Gilliamesque epic
Fantastical storytelling underpins Tarsem’s 2006 film, in which an injured stuntman relates an elaborate fable to a young girl - Peter Bradshaw
Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram review – cult anime goes on wild treasure hunt
The latest outing for the high school sleuth sees him join forces with his arch enemy, a master thief. Despite some flashes of brilliance, the script soon becomes convoluted - Phuong Le
I’m Not Everything I Want to Be review – sex, fashion and addiction from Czech Nan Goldin
Libuše Jarcovjáková narrates her own life story from career obscurity to capturing the Prague underground and the fall of the Berlin Wall - Leslie Felperin
Survive review – smart, surrealist disaster flick filled with arresting dream-like imagery
Low-budget limitations work in this French thriller’s favour, where emotion and strong performances underpin the dream-like imagery - Phil Hoad
The Fisherman and the Banker review – a coastal community’s astonishing fight for justice
Shot over 10 years, Sheena Sumaria’s documentary follows an Indian fishing village as it takes on global financial giants to protect its biodiversity and the residents’ livelihoods - Phuong Le
The Invention of the Other review – fascinating first glimpse of uncontacted Amazon tribe
Bruno Jorge’s quietly observed film has an added poignance as the leader of the expedition to immunise one of Brazil’s isolated tribes is murdered activist Bruno Pereira - Cath Clarke
The Goldman Case review – compelling real-life French courtroom drama
The 1970s appeal hearing of far-left activist and armed robber Pierre Goldman is mined for all its showboating excitement in Cédric Kahn’s film - Wendy Ide
Strange Darling review – a serial killer tale too tricksy for its own good
A non-linear structure raises and lowers the stakes in JT Mollner’s thriller - Wendy Ide
Come 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
The 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
Members 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
Children 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
Timestalker 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
Salem’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
Endurance 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
The 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
Stuntman 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
In 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
Take 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
Sound 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
Portraits 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
The 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
Hold 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
Salem’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
Blood 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
The 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
Things 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
Wolfs 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
Megalopolis review – Francis Ford Coppola’s epic fail
The storied director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now swings for the fences with a lavish-looking but muddled and empty tale of thwarted ambition - Wendy Ide
Hellboy: The Crooked Man review – sputtering mess even a metric ton of makeup can’t conceal
A boring nemesis in a top hat bops around cackling while a wan Hellboy is enlisted to save a local man’s sweetheart in this inexplicable successor - Leslie Felperin
My Old Ass review – Aubrey Plaza adds texture to comedy of teen meeting future self
After a promising opening, this coming-of-age romance from director Megan Park fails to deliver the big finish - Peter Bradshaw
Apartment 7A review – Rosemary’s Baby prequel is a vacant rehash
Strong performances from Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest can’t add enough weight to a pointless horror that fills in gaps we didn’t need filling in - Benjamin Lee
Azrael: Angel of Death review – dialogue-free sci-fi horror takes cues from A Quiet Place
Samara Weaving excels in post-apocalyptic horror where humanity has renounced words – which might have been useful to decipher what’s going on - Leslie Felperin
Escape review – blonds have much less fun in sleazy throwback survival horror
With its gang of cartoon villains and wardrobe of bikinis, this low-budget thriller is reminiscent of old-style video nasties - Catherine Bray
Inherit 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
Killer Heat review – overcooked Jo Nesbø adaptation is deathly dull
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley star in a very boring murder mystery streaming on Amazon - Benjamin Lee
The Mouse Trap review – parasitic IP horror gives birth to slasher Mickey Mouse
As Disney’s rodent enters the public domain, director Jamie Bailey strikes first – but with a disappointingly meek and convoluted horror - Phil Hoad