Murder on the Orient Express (out Nov 9) is a good old fashioned "who done it?" A famed, semi-arrogant detective interrogates those aboard a train after a fellow passenger is murdered. The film looks great but there something disappointing about the simplistic ease in which Detective Poirot puts the pieces of the puzzle together. Grade: B-.

Jungle (out Nov 9) is based on a true story and follows a group of young explorers who get lost while trekking through jungles in South America. This film is a mixed bag. It makes great use of its claustrophobic setting and makes you wonder how you'd handle the same situation. On the other hand, there are unnecessary flashbacks and a few over-dramatised scenes (such as the finale itself). Grade: B.

Detroit (out Nov 9) takes us inside a key part of the Detroit riots in 1967 as police officers play a game of psychological warfare with the residents at a hotel while fishing for information about a suspected shooter. There's lots to think about here and audiences won't get off lightly. Grade: A-.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (out Nov 9) is a biopic about the American psychologist who created the famed comic book in the 1940s. It goes down some unexpected paths and becomes an unorthodox romantic drama. Grade: B+.

Loving Vincent (out Nov 2) follows the son of a postman who finds himself drawn into a mystery regarding the death of Vincent van Gogh. Marketed as the first animated feature to be painted (instead of drawn), this is an interesting tale made more special by the beautiful, creative animation. Grade: A-.

Bad Moms 2 (out Nov 2) introduces grandmothers into the equation but it’s not as funny or crude as its predecessor. It’s not all bad news through. There are a handful of great scenes that provide laughs. Most of them revolve around Kathryn Hahn, her work at a beauty salon, and her interaction with a male stripper from out of town. Grade: B-.

Jigsaw (out Nov 2) wants to reinvigorate the Saw franchise (the last film was in 2010) but it's a silly, illogical effort that lacks creativity. Let's kill this series once and for all. Grade: C.

Three Summers (out Nov 2) has too many characters but it's still a likeable feel-good flick set around a fictitious folk music festival in Western Australia. The terrific cast make up for the shortcomings in the screenplay with the best of the bunch being Robert Sheehan, Magda Szubanski and Kate Box. Grade: B.

Thor: Ragnarok (out Oct 26) is easily the best in the Thor trilogy – an impressive feat given that sequels often lack the spark and freshness of the original. The budget is roughly 100 times what he’s accustomed to but this still feels like a Taika Waititi film and comes complete with his warped sense of humour. Also loved the large number of villains. Grade: A-.

Suburbicon (out Oct 26) tries to tell two stories - one about racism in the 1950s and the other a murder-mystery in an ordinarily quiet neighbourhood. The problem is that neither story is particularly well told. This wants to be a dark comedy but the jokes are few and far between. Grade: C+.