Wild Rose (out Jun 13) is a moving drama about a single mother who, fresh from a year-long stint in prison, must juggle the dream of becoming a country music star with the responsibility of caring for her two young children. 29-year-old Jessie Buckley is wonderfully good as the film's flawed protagonist. Grade: A-.

Tolkien (out Jun 13) delves into the schooling years of acclaimed writer J.R.R. Tolkien during the early part of the 20th Century. The wartime scenes are clumsy but this is still a beautiful told tale that shows the value of strong, supportive friends and how they can shape our lives, our decisions and our personalities. Grade: B+.

High Life (out Jun 6) is a slow-burn drama about a group of criminals struggling to co-exist while on a multi-year space mission towards a black hole. It's a winner because of it's strange, unorthodox nature. You're never quite sure what it's fully about and where it's taking the audience. Grade: B+.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (out Jun 6) covers familiar territory. It's another tale where the mutants have to prove their worth by saving the day and helping the human race. Didn't mind the villains and there's some good interaction between James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence but on the whole, this is a disappointment. Grade: B-.

My Big Gay Italian Wedding (out Jun 6) has a slightly uneven script but it's still is a likeable crowd pleaser with plenty of genuine giggles. It's the story of a gay man who is ready to marry the love of his life... but he must first "come out" to his parents and then help him plan a lavish wedding. A simple, fun farce. Grade: B.

Red Joan (out Jun 6) is very loosely based on the true story of a young British woman who used her role as a secretary to leak valuable research information to the Soviet Union during World War II. This is largely a ho-hum drama that gets bogged down in background information and romantic subplots. The only thought-provoking layer sees the older Joan explain and justify her criminal actions to her middle aged son. Grade: C+.

Godzilla II: King of the Monsters (out May 30) follows on from the 2014 reboot and introduces a bunch of new monsters that must be defeated to save mankind. This can be pitched at those looking for two hours of simple, mindless entertainment but it’s offering little when it comes to originality and memorability. The characters are dull and the monster battle sequences get tired. Grade: C+.

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (out May 30) is a simple, unremarkable animated film about an ageing druid looking for a successor who he can trust with his secret, power-generating potion. There's no complexity to the story and it's the kind of thing you'd expect to go direct to DVD or TV. Grade: C.

Rocketman (out May 30) is a musical drama about singer-songwriter Elton John. The film struggles with the breadth of material and many characters feel underdeveloped (a 2-3 min sequence involving his wife is laughably bad). Still, there's a lot to like about the lead performance of Taron Egerton and the best scenes in the movie are those shared with good friend Bernie Taupin (played by Jamie Bell). It's fun and flashy but the shallowness to the screenplay is hard to shake. Grade: B-.

Aladdin (out Mar 23) is a perhaps unnecessary remake of the 1992 Disney animated feature.  It’s remarkable how little they’ve changed in terms of characters, storylines and songs.  There’s a superficiality about the characters that’s hard to shake but it’s still light, humorous and appealing for younger audiences.  Not sure about the older crowd.  Grade: B.