Behind The Candelabra (out Jul 25) looks at Lee Liberace and contrasts his public life (as an immensely popular entertainer) with that of his private life (dating a 17-year-old toy boy named Scott Thorson). Michael Douglas is charming in the leading role but the film spends too much time on Thorson (Matt Damon) who comes across as a dull nobody. Grade: B.

The Conjuring (out now) follows a family with a haunted house and a team of paranormal investigators who are trying to help them. This is an effective-horror thriller that becomes quite freaky during it's second hour. Grade: B+.

Before Midnight (out Jul 18) has been crafted from the same mould as Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. It’s set over the course of a single day in southern Greece and features lengthy conversations between stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Their compliments, their arguments and their reflections will have you drawing comparisons with your own relationships. Grade: B+.

Only God Forgives (out Jul 18) begins with the murder of a prostitute in Bangkok and develops into a bloody, brutal tale of vengeance. It's got style but I wish it had a lot more in the way of substance. Too often I was bored by the simplistic story and lack of interesting dialogue. Would much rather watch a Tarantino flick. Grade: B-.

Much Ado About Nothing (out now) is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's play but still retains much of the original dialogue (which is little tricky to grapple with at times). Shot in 12 days inside director Joss Whedon's own home, this film charms with its light nature, black & white imagery and likeable cast. One for the romantics. Grade: A-.

This Is The End (out Jul 18) follows a group of young actors stuck at James Franco's house during a apocalypse. This is just a bunch of celebrities taking the piss out of themselves for 2 hours... but if you're familiar with their previous work, you're likely to find this very amusing (as I did). Grade: A-.

Mud (out now) follows a 14-year-old boy who befriends a mysterious man hiding on a nearby island. It veers off on a few unnecessary tangents away from the kid and I'm not 100% convinced by the ending... but this is still a quality coming-of-age drama fueled by great performances from Matthew McConaughey and newcomer Tye Sheridan. Grade: B+.

Pacific Rim (out Jul 11) works... somehow. Robots versus monsters? Sure, why not! It blends deliberately cheesy accents, dialogue and characters with cool action, visuals and music. It's one of more distinctive action films that we've seen in recent years. A lot of fun! Grade: A-.

The Heat (out Jul 11) takes a standard, unoriginal story and transforms it into a riotous, offensive buddy comedy thanks to the performances of Melissa McCarthy, Sandra Bullock and a terrific supporting cast. I laughed a lot. Grade: A-.

The Lone Ranger (out Jul 4) is a muddling revamp of the radio serial / TV series. The casting is fine and there are a few genuine laughs. Unfortunately, the story is all over the place. I couldn't work out if I was watching a light comedy or a violent drama. Thumbs up for the action finale which is farcical to the point of being entertaining. Grade: B-.