The Taste of Things (out May 2) is an inventive French drama set in the late 19th Century. It follows a longtime couple with an insatiable love for food. Rather than communicate using words, the pair dazzle friends (and each other) by creating mouth-watering dishes in their kitchen. Beautifully captures the sounds of sizzling food and the facial expressions of those enjoying it. Grade: A-.

Golda (out May 2) looks at the Yom Kippur War of 1973 from the perspective of Israeli’s chain-smoking Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren). With the focus on boardrooms as opposed to battlefronts, it comes across as a basic history lesson (with simplistic dialogue) as opposed to an enriching drama. Grade: C+.

The Fall Guy (out Apr 24) will tick boxes to promote Australian tourism (there’s even a scene on the steps of the Sydney Opera House) but if you’re looking for a fun, entertaining way to spend two hours… this ain’t it. An action-comedy where every joke is overdone, and the characters induce cringe as opposed to laughs. Needed a much better script. Grade: C.

The Teacher's Lounge (out Apr 25) is a thought-provoking German drama about a school teacher embroiled in an escalating situation after a fellow staff member is caught stealing. With something to say about information (and who is entitled to it) and the relationships between parents and children, this resonates strongly. Grade: A-.

Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story (out Apr 25) isn't ground-breaking in terms of style (it's just archival footage and narration) but it's still an interesting, worthy documentary about the acclaimed English actor-playwright and his achievements throughout the 20th Century. Grade: B+.

Abigail (out Apr 18) is worth a look (particularly for fans of the horror genre) but lacks a distinctiveness to make it stand out from the growing vampire pack. Characters are dumb when it suits the film’s needs, and they’re smart when the opposite applies. The humour works better than the drama (laughed at some of the explosive deaths). Grade: B-.

Challengers (out Apr 18) dumbs down the tennis elements to make it more cinematic, but it's still a terrific movie about three players (played by Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist) and the power games between them. It’s great to see Hollywood getting behind a romantic drama with meaty ideas. The movie entertains (lots of great individual scenes) while offering plenty to chat about afterwards. Cool music score too! Grade: A-.

Evil Does Not Exist (out Apr 18) is a slow-burn drama from Oscar nominated director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) and is about a small Japanese community who rebel against a major company looking to turn their town into a tourist hot spot. Holds your attention but wanted more to think about. Grade: B.

Jeanne du Barry (out Apr 18) provides an intriguing look at the royal customs of 18th Century France and the scandalous relationship between the King and his favoured mistress. Repetitive at times but still found myself enchanted by this world. Also enjoyed the music score of Stephen Warbeck. Grade: B+.

Freud’s Last Session (out Apr 18) is based on a stage play and shows a series of fictitious 1939 meetings between acclaimed neurologist Sigmund Freud and upcoming writer C.S. Lewis. A lot of chatter about religion and relationships but is it offering anything insightful? I’m not convinced. Grade: C+.