Steve Jobs (out Feb 4) is structured as a three act play. It follows Jobs as he prepares for the public launch of three products - one in 1984, 1988 and 1998. By taking this approach, writer Aaron Sorkin has created something that feels staged and unrealistic. It’s as if every key person in Steve Jobs’ life wants to complain in the half-hour leading up to each launch. The good performances can't quite compensate. Grade: B-.

Anomalisa (out Feb 4) is a rarity - a stop-motion animated feature pitched at adults. It's no surprise that it's come from the creative mind of Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich). The film follows a depressed writer travelling to Cincinnati for a public speaking event. It's a great conversation generator and I’m still reflecting on its style and themes. Grade: A.

Dirty Grandpa (out Jan 28) is crude, politically incorrect, and not much else. Some will laugh at the film's continual offensiveness but the thin plot feels like it was constructed as an afterthought. Grade: C.

Looking For Grace (out Jan 28) is an Aussie drama centred around 2 teenage girls who run away from home. The film follows multiple characters - some interesting, some not so much. It doesn't all come together in the end but the style should maintain your interest. Grade: B-.

Room (out Jan 28) is both horrifying and inspiring. A woman and her young son and held captive for 7 years in a tiny, soundproof room. When they finally escape, they face an even tougher battle to integrate back into society. The fact that it's told from the son's perspective is limiting in the later stages but the performances make this a tough, emotional ride. Grade: B+.

Spotlight (out Jan 28) is based on a true story and follows a team of investigative journalists as they dig deeper into the Catholic Church's cover up of child abuse in Boston. The script highlights the tough challenges that journalists face and the performances of the cast cannot be faulted. This is one of the best films I've seen in many years. Grade: A+.

The Hateful Eight (out Jan 21) is a three hour western from director Quentin Tarantino. A snow storm forces a group of people to take refuge in a remote cabin and not all will make it out alive. It's a little light in terms of story and humour but it has the terrific dialogue that has defined Tarantino's career. Grade: B.

The Danish Girl (out Jan 21) is set in the 1920s and takes us inside the world of Einar Wegener - one of the first individuals to have a sex change operation. It’s tough to illustrate the “inner anguish” of their respective characters on screen but Eddie Redmayne and co-star Alicia Vikander (as his wife) do their best. It’s hard not to feel empathy for their situation. Grade: B+.

The 5th Wave (out Jan 14) is a sci-fi thriller about a group of teenagers trying to save the world from an alien invasion. The writers struggle to flesh out the concept and there are many gaps in the narrative that are difficult to ignore. Grade: C+.

Goosebumps (out Jan 14) is a fun family adventure. Rather than adapting a single book from the successful Goosebumps series, the writers have created a fictitious "biopic" that shows the monsters created by author R.L. Stine were actually real. Jack Black nails the leading role. Grade: B+.