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.

Fly Me to the Moon (out Jul 11) is a comedy centred on a chatty marketing guru (Scarlett Johansson) promoting NASA in the lead up to man's landing on the moon in 1969. The lack of factual accuracy is annoying (none of these characters are real) and there's a raft of tonal changes which don't suit. The film wants to be light and fun but, unlike the Apollo 11 astronauts themselves, struggles to achieve its mission. Grade: C+.

Kinds of Kindness (out Jul 11) is a slog... but an entertaining one. Clocking it at 164 minutes, it consists of three unrelated short stories featuring the same actors (including Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons) playing different characters. Provides lots to chat about afterwards. Grade: B+.

MaXXXine (out Jul 11) is the third instalment in Ti West's trilogy (after X and Pearl). It's not as tense/juicy as the first two movies and the ending is underwhelming... but there's enough to compensate. Mia Goth is solid but Aussie Elizabeth Debicki steals every scene she's in. Enjoyed the random, unexpected splashes of violence. Grade: B.

Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line (out Jul 4) is a documentary covering the 50+ year history of the iconic Australian band. The focus is largely on singer Peter Garrett and the group's political activism. It's the sort of movie which doesn't provide reams of new information... but does provide a concise articulation of the subject for current and future generations to enjoy. Grade: B.

Sunflower (out Jul 4) is an Australian coming-of-age tale centred on Leo, a teenage high schooler who realises that he’s gay but it’s quite sure who he should tell and confide in. We’ve seen this type of narrative done many times before but the strong performances and execution make this an emotional winner. Grade: B+.

The Bikeriders (out Jul 4) draws from a photo book and is a 1960s tale centred on a Chicago motorcycle club. Some elements don't work (e.g. Mike Faist's character) and the first two acts are sluggish... but it gets juicier towards the end. Liked the performances. Grade: B-.

A Quite Place: Day One (out Jun 27) is a prequel to the movies released in 2018 and 2021. It features more great production values (love the use of sound as always) but the script isn't as strong. Falls into the trap of having characters do unrealistic things (rescuing a cat) to create tension. Needed more drama. Grade: B.