Five star - Latest Top Rated Film Reviews from the Guardian

Lone Star review – John Sayles’s powerful crime drama is an extraordinary relic of 90s film-making
Sayles’s 1996 film tackles racial division in Texas as a sheriff uncovers dark secrets about his home town and his father’s past - Peter Bradshaw
My Neighbour Totoro review – Miyazaki’s supernatural masterpiece still enchants
Studio Ghibli’s inspirationally lovely film about a girl’s encounter with a gentle creature only becomes more beguiling with repeated viewings - Peter Bradshaw
Werckmeister Harmonies review – Béla Tarr’s brooding masterpiece of a town sleepwalking into tyranny
Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky’s 2000 film moves slowly around a small town where a very strange circus has arrived. Its eerie power has only grown in a time of rising fascism - Peter Bradshaw
Chariots of Fire review – classic British take on 1924 Paris Olympics is superbly watchable
This David Puttnam-produced parable of patriotism, faith and meritocratic success – rereleased in honour of the 1924 event – is on the level of classic Hollywood - Peter Bradshaw
I Saw the TV Glow review – 90s telly-addict chiller set to be future classic
Jane Schoenbrun confirms their place as a superbly gifted film-maker with the weirdly wonderful story of two misfits finding solace in a creepy TV show - Peter Bradshaw
Nothing But the Best review – raffish Alan Bates comedy is a time capsule of 60s London
Millicent Martin and Denholm Elliott also star in Clive Donner’s 1964 satire on class, filled with macabre twists - Peter Bradshaw
Lollipop review – impassioned, head-butting indictment of the social-care system
Informed by her own experiences, Daisy-May Hudson’s portrait of a woman trying to regain custody of her kids is surprisingly even-handed - Peter Bradshaw
Between the Temples review – Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane charm in quirky comedy
Actors sell an unusual, compelling friendship as a widower reconnects with an old teacher in this thoughtful film - Adrian Horton
Audrey review – a deliciously snarky comedy about a girl in a coma
Jackie van Beek and Hannah Diviney star in Natalie Bailey’s feature debut, which explores a thorny taboo with gallows humour - Luke Buckmaster
Hollywoodgate review – chilling fly-on-the-wall glimpse of the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul
Granted unprecedented, if strictly limited access, Egyptian documentarian Ibrahim Nash’at captures the Taliban’s inner circle after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan - Wendy Ide
Alien: Romulus review – thrillingly gruesome new instalment gets a shot of young blood
The ever-impressive Cailee Spaeny heads a cast of fresh-faced alien fodder in Fede Álvarez’s propulsive sci-fi horror, which favours horror over storyline - Wendy Ide
Daughters review – tender, wrenching film about a dance date for girls and their jailed dads
Four girls look forward to being reunited with their fathers in Natalie Rae and Angela Patton’s painful yet lyrical Sundance-winning documentary - Wendy Ide
Klitschko: More Than a Fight review – Kyiv’s mayor confronts Zelenskiy in eye-opening Ukraine war film
Kevin Macdonald’s documentary follows the former boxer in charge of Ukraine’s capital as he deals with the fallout of the Russian invasion - Andrew Pulver
Ellis Park review – like its subject, Warren Ellis documentary moves to the beat of its own drum
Justin Kurzel’s film about the Bad Seeds and Dirty Three musician, and the animal sanctuary he founded in Indonesia with activist Femke den Haas, is richly cinematic - Luke Buckmaster
A Life Like Any Other review – wonderfully moving look back at a mother’s resilience
Faustine Cros’s documentary revisits home videos from her childhood through fresh eyes having learned as an adult what her young self had missed - Phuong Le
Tuesday review – Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines in fatalistic fairytale
A teenage girl is visited by death – in the form of a parrot – and her mother is having none of it in Daina O Pusić’s striking feature debut - Wendy Ide
Babes review – Pamela Adlon’s caustically funny pregnancy comedy
Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau fizz in the Better Things creator’s directorial debut, a rapid-fire riff on pregnancy, motherhood and female friendship - Wendy Ide
Radical review – Mexican inspirational teacher drama rises above genre cliches
Based on true events, this tale of a deprived school being turned on its head by the arrival of Mr Juárez feels fresh, largely thanks to its superb young cast - Wendy Ide
Daughters review – heartbreaking record of girls and their imprisoned fathers
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae’s documentary about a ‘daddy-and-daughter’ prom for prisoners is an intimate window on lives torn apart by mass incarceration in the US - Cath Clarke
Alma’s Rainbow review – 90s New York tale of Black womanhood and sexuality is worth the wait
A teenager rebels against her mother’s respectable values in this 4K restoration of Ayoka Chenzira’s feature debut from 1994 - Ellen E Jones
Dìdi review – bittersweet Asian American coming-of-age drama
Wang’s award-winning debut is a tender, semi-autobiographical portrait of a 13-year-old skateboarder and his devoted immigrant mum in 00s California - Ellen E Jones
The NeverEnding Story review – a wondrous world of beasts and young heroes
A grieving boy is drawn into a magical land in Wolfgang Petersen’s ambitious fantasy adventure, rereleased for its 40th anniversary - Peter Bradshaw
Knock Out Blonde: The Kellie Maloney Story review – trans boxing promoter fights for identity
After steering Lennox Lewis to world heavyweight success, her transition to Kellie was a tabloid sensation. This intimate and moving documentary tells us much more - Phil Hoad
Dìdi review – impressive Asian-American teen-angst drama takes the unconventional route
Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical film offers a cool approach, swerving the usual coming-of-age tropes - Peter Bradshaw
A Story of Bones review – the battle to right Saint Helena’s colonial wrongs
This moving story documents the long struggle to bury the mass remains of Africans who were ‘liberated’ from the slave trade in a way that memorialises the island’s past - Leslie Felperin
Three review – Yugoslavian trilogy of tales tracks the horrors of the second world war
Aleksandar Petrović’s 1965 interlinked stories focus on the changes wrought in one young Yugoslavian by the brutality of the war and its aftermath - Peter Bradshaw
The Echo review – insightful study of an isolated community
Tatiana Huezo captures the rhythms of life and locals’ thwarted dreams in her keen portrait of a Mexican village - Wendy Ide
I Saw the TV Glow review – powerfully unnerving teen misfit drama
A mysterious late-night TV show unites two disaffected adolescents in Jane Schoenbrun’s haunting, 90s-set allegory - Wendy Ide
About Dry Grasses review – rich, engrossing Turkish epic with a twist
A village teacher is accused of inappropriate behaviour in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s handsome, beautifully performed, three-and-a-half-hour fable - Wendy Ide
The Echo review – heightened reality in the backwoods of Mexico
Tatiana Huezo’s film about a teenage runaway has the look of a drama, and yet it’s a documentary – one that showcases her distinctive, immersive style - Peter Bradshaw
Life Is Not a Competition, But I’m Winning review – intelligent exploration of trans athletes
Julia Fuhr Mann’s impressive feature eschews the usual point-counterpoint conventions that structure arguments in favour of a more artsy approach - Leslie Felperin
Crossing review – terrific Istanbul-set culture-clash drama
A stern Georgian ex-teacher on a mission to make amends with her trans niece learns a thing or two in Levan Akin’s rich, rewarding ensemble film - Wendy Ide
The Killer review – John Woo’s John Woo remake is a low-stakes fun time
The director revisits his 1989 classic with a Paris-set update that doesn’t attempt anything all that daring but reconfirms his action credentials - Jesse Hassenger
Blink Twice review – Zoe Kravitz’s stylish yet scattered #MeToo thriller
There are deafening echoes of Get Out, Don’t Worry Darling and The Menu in this propulsive yet ultimately unwieldy attempt to use Epstein’s island as genre inspiration - Benjamin Lee
Kneecap review – Irish-language hip-hop trio in fiercely riotous Belfast romp
The story of Northern Irish teenagers who reinvent the political purpose of hip-hop, the film is most uproarious when the energy of the music lets loose - Peter Bradshaw
Together With Lorenza Mazzetti review – compelling final testament from overlooked director
The Italian director, whose film Together made a key contribution to the Free Cinema movement in the UK, died in 2020 but this interview is a fitting tribute - Andrew Pulver
The Mountain Within Me review – disabled heroes take on the Himalayas
Documentary traces Ed Jackson’s extraordinary journey from paraplegia to extreme climbing, and follows him through spectacular landscapes - Leslie Felperin
Hell Hole review – creature feature is fracking fun
A crew of engineers drilling in Serbia find more than they bargained for in this endearing, low-budget horror from the Adams family - Catherine Bray
The Home Game review – sweet and heartwarming story of Iceland’s footballing underdogs
This plucky documentary tells of the small town whose residents created its first football pitch, and the years that followed chasing their goal - Catherine Bray
Widow Clicquot review – vine-whispering champagne-maker gets the biopic treatment
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot ascends from demure young lover to patriarchy-defying innovator in this attractive but not quite grand cru biopic - Phil Hoad
Adam Ondra: Pushing the Limits review – Czech Spider-Man climbs all the way to Olympics
Jan Šimánek and Petr Záruba’s intimate documentary reveals the vulnerabilities behind sporting success as rock climber Ondra trains for Tokyo 2020 - Phuong Le
Hostile Dimensions review – goofy no-budget horror opens portal to a parallel world
When a graffiti artist vanishes through a freestanding door, two film-makers open up a wittily told mystery - Leslie Felperin
Cadejo Blanco review – compelling performances in slow-burn drug gang thriller
Lead Karen Martínez is impressive as a young woman searching for her sister among drug gangs in Guatemala in Justin Lerner’s suspenseful movie - Cath Clarke
Clandestina review – artists fighting fascists in Portugal in the 1950s – and the present day
The words of artist-activist Margarida Tengarrinha ground Maria Mire’s feature debut, which evokes a lineage of political dissent through ambiguous visual sequences - Phuong Le
Faye review – where are all the hair-raising stories of Dunaway’s nightmare behaviour?
This misty-eyed homage to Bonnie and Clyde star Faye Dunaway (with her involvement) papers over her reputation for being difficult – but is still a troubling portrait - Rachel Aroesti
Only the River Flows review – stylishly enigmatic Chinese crime drama
An overburdened detective investigates a series of murders in 1990s rural China in Wei Shujun’s slow-burning noir - Wendy Ide
The Union review – Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg heat up Netflix action flick
The stars’ rapport helps retain your interest in a preposterous international caper that has something vaguely to do with justice - Adrian Horton
Coraline review – delightfully creepy coming-of-age fantasy offers more than just scares
Henry Selick’s adapted from Neil Gaiman’s book about a young girl who finds new parents with buttons for eyes is a nifty stop-motion animation - Peter Bradshaw
Only the River Flows review – accomplished Chinese noir is intriguing and ingenious thriller
An ambitious police detective attempts to solve a series of murders from a disused cinema in director Wei Shujun’s crime drama - Peter Bradshaw
Black Dog review – fine lead performances power British road movie on a satisfying path
Two former schoolfriends team up and head to Scotland on a journey that carries us through some cliched stops - Leslie Felperin
The Hypnosis review – watch-through-your-hands squirmfest as woman loses inhibitions
A big-money business pitch is threatened when a tech entrepreneur’s unpredictable inner child is unleashed after hypnotherapy - Cath Clarke
Swan Song review – ‘punk rock’ ballet film goes behind-the-scenes to get show afloat
The National Ballet of Canada’s prep for a new production of the biggest ballet there is, while bidding farewell to artistic director Karen Kain, is subtly handled in a nuanced documentary - Leslie Felperin
It Ends With Us review – Blake Lively stars in oddly frothy domestic abuse drama
Dark themes lurk behind the stylish veneer in this adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller, directed by co-star Justin Baldoni - Wendy Ide
Luce review – enigmatic Italian drama of dreams and drones
A young woman’s breakdown – or is it an epiphany? – in coastal Italy, in Luca Bellino and Silvia Luzi’s film, does not surrender its meaning easily - Peter Bradshaw
It Ends with Us review – Blake Lively anchors glossy romance adaptation
Colleen Hoover’s smash hit novel gets a winning and emotionally effective transfer to the big screen - Benjamin Lee
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut review – 1970s Roman empire sex shocker returns to the source
Without the extra sex that made writer Gore Vidal want his credit removed, Tinto Brass’s epic of imperial eroticism showcases a powerhouse Malcolm McDowell - Peter Bradshaw
Cuckoo review – stylish horror offers atmosphere with incoherence
Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer is a convincing scream queen in this Germany-set chiller which prioritises mood over plot - Benjamin Lee
Radical review – Mexico’s heartwarming answer to Dead Poets Society makes the grade
Based on the true story of an inspiring teacher arriving in an impoverished school, this bullies you into uplift but succeeds thanks to its top quality cast - Leslie Felperin
Together 99 review – quarter-century reunion for Lukas Moodysson’s Swedish commune comedy
Moodysson reunites the gang of hippies from his joyful 2000 sendup for a fun yet slightly sour sequel - Cath Clarke
The Last Human review – despair and hope for Greenland youth in crosshairs of climate peril
Ivalo Frank’s documentary draws in deep science about the origins of life on Earth along with warm portraits of the young people who face environmental crisis - Phuong Le
A Place Called Silence review – suspenseful Malaysian high school horror reboot
Sam Quah’s entertaining but caricature-filled Chinese remake of his 2022 film about bullying and worse has been a box-office hit across Asia - Ellen E Jones
Kensuke’s Kingdom review – impeccably elegant animation of Michael Morpurgo adventure
Beautifully hand-drawn, with a screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce exploring deep themes, is this adaptation too classy to have wide appeal? - Ellen E Jones
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie review – another enjoyably madcap SpongeBob adventure
An incredibly game Wanda Sykes leans in to the evil inventor trope as the gang follow their favourite scientist squirrel to the Lone Star State in a bid to save their world - Catherine Bray
Kensuke’s Kingdom review – Michael Morpurgo’s desert island boy’s own adventure
Morpurgo’s yarn about a kid on a round the world voyage is adapted by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and attractively packaged as a family-friendly animation - Peter Bradshaw
Elephant Mother review – sensitive animal documentary with a happy ending
Conservationist Lek Chailert helps elephants recover from gruelling working lives in Thailand with joviality and grit in this engaging film - Cath Clarke
Alma’s Rainbow review – early 90s coming-of-ager is gem of black female empowerment
Pioneering director Ayoka Chenzira gives voice to the inner lives of women at a time when they were mostly ignored, making this film a rare gift to treasure - Cath Clarke
A Place Called Silence review – secrets and lies in high school dripping with horror
Sam Quah brings real artistry to story of buried guilt and conspicuous violence, but his neat contrivances tie things up rather too easily - Phil Hoad
Light Falls Vertical review – startling domestic violence memoir goes deep into past trauma
Jarring and heartbreaking documentary excavates the film-maker’s past while illuminating an abuser’s place in the cycle of violence - Phuong Le
Outside Noise review – dreamy twentysomethings wander around Europe in charming study
Ted Fendt’s portrait of three young women at creative crossroads follows their listless strolls and awkward gatherings with warm vitality - Phuong Le
Deadpool & Wolverine review – Marvel’s achingly meta new sequel is going to be huge
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s superhero odd couple are flung together in a gagtastic if sloppy action comedy that maxes out its 15 certificate - Wendy Ide
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa review – a female Everest climber’s ascent
Documentary expertly follows the only woman to have climbed the mountain 10 times through spectacular scenery and a traumatic personal life - Leslie Felperin
Deadpool & Wolverine review – Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s sarky gagathon mocks the MCU back to life
The highly-anticipated odd-couple action bromance shatters the fourth wall into a million pieces with plenty of juke-box slams to keep blood-sugar content high - Peter Bradshaw
Robin and the Hoods review – nostalgic battle cry for children’s imagination
The armoured knights and magic thunderbolts of a child’s play world are threatened by a property developer in this formulaic yet fun family feature - Georgie Wyatt
Gaza: A Story of Love and War review – compassionate stories from both sides of the divide
Welsh-Jewish film-maker Mike Joseph records his dialogue with a Palestinian journalist that reaches across an agonising divide - Leslie Felperin
Ardenza review – beguiling cine-essay about the angst of the 90s youth generation
Daniela de Felice’s impressionistic, sensuous documentary meditates on the romantic relationships and student activism of her youth in 1990s Italy - Phuong Le
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat review – female friendship saga falls flat
Adaptation of Edward Kelsey Moore’s novel has admirable intentions and terrific cast but is too rushed to soar - Radheyan Simonpillai
The 39 Steps review – comic homage to Hitchcock thriller goes off the rails
With four actors playing 130 parts, this revival of Patrick Barlow’s take on the spy film is fitfully funny but ultimately frustrating - Chris Wiegand
Noah’s Ark review – Old Testament’s got talent in biblical kids’ animation
The animals on Noah’s ark have a singing contest under the eye of a familiar leonine villain, amid a flood of unoriginal gags - Cath Clarke
Lore review – Brit-horror anthology tells its gruesome stories around the campfire
Richard Brake is well cast as the host for this portmanteau of grisly yarns, where the girls’ tales are made of stronger stuff than the boys’ - Phil Hoad
Jackpot! review – feeble Paul Feig action comedy maxes out on the mayhem
The best efforts of Awkwafina and John Cena can’t save this flailing tale of an LA lottery win gone wrong - Wendy Ide
The Deliverance review – Lee Daniels exorcism horror brings strong cast to real-life story
Daniels’s film starts well as it points up the social pressures that informed the Latoya Ammons case, but succumbs to tired horror tropes - Peter Bradshaw
Alien: Romulus review – grungy, back-to-basics instalment goes over same old ground
Fede Álvarez’s effort is scrappier than Ridley Scott’s grandiose efforts – but everyone involved would have been better employed working on something new - Peter Bradshaw
Jackpot! review - Awkwafina and John Cena strapped into stunt-heavy action comedy
The efforts of a strong cast to make a future dystopia into knockabout fun result in a discordant mismash of general ridiculousness - Adrian Horton
The Instigators review – Matt Damon and Casey Affleck languish in heist caper misfire
Doug Liman directs the usually bankable duo in this disappointingly slow and predictable crime comedy - Wendy Ide
Ozi: Voice of the Forest review – simian version of Greta Thunberg takes on evil corporation
Orangutan Ozi is a simian Greta Thunberg in a film whose excellent animation is let down by underdeveloped characters and blind faith in social media activism - Phil Hoad
Borderlands review – Cate Blanchett is wasted in janky video game adventure
The Oscar winner tries to rise above Eli Roth’s juvenile and derivative adaptation of the hit game but gets lost in the mess - Jesse Hassenger
Tuesday review – kooky macaw is angel of death for Julia Louis-Dreyfus in hipster silliness
If only the brilliant Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew had been left to handle the black comedy without help from a zany avian - Peter Bradshaw
Chris Thorburn: Cineman review – heard the one about Sex Times at Spring Break High?
This movie-mad comic lampoons Hollywood through sketch and song but some of his material could have been left in the cutting room - Rachael Healy
Duchess review – sneers and smiles in noughties throwback Brit-crime revenger
A heroine who looks good in Lycra and a love interest with no chemistry don’t leave you wanting more, despite Duchess’s sequel-friendly ending - Leslie Felperin
Harold and the Purple Crayon review – sketchy live-action adaptation
Uncharismatic Zachary Levi plays the 50s children’s character whose drawings spring to life in a film lifted by Clement’s villainous novelist - Ellen E Jones
Trap review – M Night Shyamalan’s concert thriller is a mess
Josh Hartnett plays a serial killer trapped at a pop show in a suspense-free dud that acts as embarrassing promotion for the director’s daughter - Benjamin Lee
The Instigators review – Matt Damon and Casey Affleck can’t save underpowered heist comedy
The Ocean’s Eleven veterans star in this Boston-set caper about a broke ex-marine and a moody ex-con hired to rob the mayor’s victory party - Peter Bradshaw
Shrek the Musical review – sludgy show leaves you green about the gills
Played at the volume of a pantomime, this makeover of the fairytale favourite is flatly unadventurous - Chris Wiegand
The Fabulous Four review – starry cast deserves better in silly, simplistic comedy
Susan Sarandon and Bette Midler lead a group of old friends who reunite in a dispiriting and disappointing waste of older female actors - Benjamin Lee
Coma review – vital signs are weak in Bertrand Bonello’s mopey lockdown drama
There are stabs of the same fear that made The Beast fascinating, but this tale of a bored teenager in a scary, affectless future is too unfocused - Peter Bradshaw
Bad Newz review – racy Bollywood romcom breaks new ground with parenting shenanigans
Love triangle caper about a woman who bears twins by two different fathers gives disappointingly more life to its competing men - Leslie Felperin
The Crow review – unfathomably awful goth remake
Rupert Sanders’ attempt to resurrect the 1994 cult revenge thriller has become one of 2024’s most atrocious films - Benjamin Lee
Borderlands review – Cate Blanchett stalks her way through woeful video game adaptation
The Australian star heads a big-name cast who can do nothing to save Eli Roth’s incoherent sci-fi action comedy - Wendy Ide
Gracie and Pedro review – star names can’t make up for charmless cat and dog odd couple
By-the-numbers animation does nothing to lift cliched tale that squanders the talents of A-list actors including Bill Nighy and Susan Sarandon - Catherine Bray
Harold and the Purple Crayon review – garish and charmless kids fantasy dud
Zachary Levi makes for a miscast lead in a poorly thought- out adaptation of Crockett Johnson’s classic picture book - Jesse Hassenger