Ka Whawhai Toni: Struggle Without End (out Aug 1) is a New Zealand film set in 1864 about local Maoris battling against the colonial English. Dialogue is over-written but still liked the characters. Grade: B.

Sleeping Dogs (out Aug 1) is the kind of movie that’s too tricky for its own good. It wants to keep viewers on their toes with twist and turns, but they grow increasingly less credible. It's centred on a retired homicide detective (Russell Crowe) suffering from dementia who reinvestigates a case from a decade earlier. Grade: C.

Deadpool & Wolverine (out Jul 25) is a winner. It taps into my dark, puerile sense of humour, refers to other superheroes (some long forgotten), and weaves in the intellectual property squabbles of big Hollywood studios. While it’s intended to be spoof, the film surprises by offering villains more interesting than what the genre has served up of late (Emma Corrin's "fingering" is fantastic). Well-selected soundtrack too! Grade: A-.

The Teacher Who Promised the Sea (out Jul 25) reminds us of humanity’s beauty… and tragedy. It's based on a true 1930s story from Spain and is centred on a revolutionary teacher with secular, left-leaning views who earned the ire of the town’s religious and political leaders. Nice themes and great performances. Grade: A-.

Totem (out Jul 25) is a slow-burn Mexican drama about a large family preparing for the birthday party of a gravely ill, middled-aged man. Features lots of squabbles, both petty and significant, it lacks a strong final act to bring all the emotional themes together. Grade: B.

Longlegs (out Jul 18) is a thriller about a newly minted FBI detective with unexplained clairvoyancy who tries to track down a long-time serial killer who leaves cyphers behind as a trail.  Part Silence of the Lambs and part Zodiac, Longlegs lacks a big finale but the stylish cinematography keeps you interested all the way through. Grade: B.

Treasure (out Jul 18) is worth a look-see. Drawing from a 1999 novel, it's the story of a middle-aged Jewish woman who travels to Poland with her elderly father to better understand her family history. Repetitive in places but the button-pushing interactions between leads Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry make the film work as a whole. They each get a chance to display likeability, vulnerability, and nastiness. Grade: B.

Birdeater (out Jul 18) is an Australian drama centred on a buck’s party filed with an assortment of increasingly tense, awkward exchanges. Making the most of a small budget, the performances are great and the direction is distinctive. Ending doesn't quite work. Grade: B+.

Mr Blake at Your Service! (out Jul 18) is a well-intentioned but very corny, unrealistic French film about a widowed man (John Malkovich) who visits the mansion where he first met his wife... and then pretends to be a butler there. Grade: C.

Twisters (out Jul 11) is a standalone sequel (no returning characters) to the successful 1996 action film. The narrative is contrived but the three leads are great (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos). Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) is a natural when it comes to the action genre. The pace is fast, the visual effects are convincing, and the sounds are epic. Grade: B.