The Boys in the Boat (out Jan 4) is a 1930s tale of a college rowing team who go from zero to hero. The handling of the material is as formulaic as it gets, but this film still works because of the energy and emotion generated by the three big rowing races. Such a great story! Joel Edgerton and Luke Slattery the pick of the cast. Grade: B+.

Ferrari (out Jan 4) is set in 1957 and looks at how Ferrari, struggling at the time, targeted victory in the prestigious Mille Miglia 24-hour race to help boost sales. Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) isn't the most exciting character and so it falls upon his semi-deranged wife (Penélope Cruz) to generate interest through her power games. Grade: B-.

Next Goal Wins (out Jan 1) is a fictionalised film based off a 2014 documentary about the quest of the American Samoa football team to win their first FIFA World Cup qualifying game. Director Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) is normally on point when balancing comedy and drama but he’s missed the mark here by skewing too much towards goof. Star Michael Fassbender overplays every emotional beat as the team's coach. Grade: C+.

Dream Scenario (out Jan 1) starts promisingly but quickly loses momentum. It's the story of a boring, ordinary guy (Nicolas Cage) who randomly appears in the dreams of thousands across the country. This could have been a wonderfully messed-up dark comedy but, as shown in the limp, illogical finale, it's ultimately a journey to nowhere. Grade: C+.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (out Dec 26) culminates a lacklustre year of superhero movies. The film has little to offer in terms of story, dialogue, and originality. It's remarkable how inferior the visuals are in comparison to last year's Avatar flick. Grade: C.

Coup de chance (out Dec 26) is the 50th film to be directed by 88-year-old Woody Allen and is a romantic drama above love, honesty, fidelity, and fate. Some nice moments but the punchline is rushed and corny (plus, we've seen it from Allen before). Grade: B.

Anyone But You (out Dec 26) is a romantic comedy set in Sydney starring Sydney... Sweeney and Glen Powell. They're enemies who pretend to be a couple to appease the exorbitantly wealthy families attending an Aussie wedding. The banter/chemistry between the two leads is great. A shame the supporting cast are given zero to work with (the dialogue is as cringe as it gets). Grade: B-.

Migration (out Dec 26) is an animated feature about a family of Mallard ducks who, for the first time, harness the courage to migrate to Jamacia for the winter. The themes are neatly articulated, the story is entertaining, and the characters are cute. There are also some great jokes! Grade: B+.

Poor Things (out Dec 26) is a quirky dark comedy from director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) and is difficult to explain. Featuring a great lead performance from Emma Stone, it's a film you'll remember whether you like it or not. The jokes become repetitive (the lead character's love of sex) but I like its boldness and themes. Grade: B+.

One Life (out Dec 26) takes a while to get going (the two timeframes don't help) but once it hits its stride in the final act, it's a stirring, powerful, emotional tale. It is based on the life of British-born Nicholas Winton who help rescue train-loads of Jewish people from Czechoslovakia during the early days of World War II. Grade: B+.