Poor Things (out Dec 26) is a quirky dark comedy from director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) and is difficult to explain. Featuring a great lead performance from Emma Stone, it's a film you'll remember whether you like it or not. The jokes become repetitive (the lead character's love of sex) but I like its boldness and themes. Grade: B+.

One Life (out Dec 26) takes a while to get going (the two timeframes don't help) but once it hits its stride in the final act, it's a stirring, powerful, emotional tale. It is based on the life of British-born Nicholas Winton who help rescue train-loads of Jewish people from Czechoslovakia during the early days of World War II. Grade: B+.

Wish (out Dec 26) is an up-and-down animated feature. It's the tale of a young woman tasked with overthrowing a kingdom's tyrannical leader. The "capturing wishes" subplot is contrived but didn't mind the heroes versus villains narrative. Grade: B-.

Two Tickets to Greece (out Dec 26) is a limp comedy about two childhood friends who re-connect decades later and go on a holiday together. They're as different as chalk and cheese (the film has Odd Couple vibes) and while it sounds like a recipe for laughs, the misadventures are poorly conceived. Grade: C.

Wonka (out Dec 14) is designed to be a prequel to the 1971 flick starring Gene Wilder. It's fun! The story is easy to follow, the musical numbers fit nicely, and the production values are strong. In the title role, Timothée Chalamet’s dancing/singing skills are charming but it’s the blend of quirkiness and sincerity he brings to the character which makes Wonka easy to root for. Grade: B+.

Godzilla Minus One (out Dec 1) is a terrific Japanese action flick set in the aftermath of World War II where residents of Tokyo must find a way to defeat the destructive creature. The acting is stiff at times but this is still a tense, engaging movie which feels more credible than Godzilla flicks which have come out of Hollywood in recent years. Grade: A-.

Dicks: The Musical (out Dec 7) is the rudest, crudest musical I've ever seen. Directed by Larry Charles (Borat), every scene is trying to shock the audience with a lack of political correctness. The best laughs are in the closing credit outtakes. That's not usually a good sign but, as a whole, the film still deserves a look for its eye-raising stupidity. Grade: B.

Maestro (out Dec 7) reminded me of the 2004 Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely in that it chronicles the life of a renowned, extraverted musician, his rocky marriage, and the gay love affairs kept from public view. The subject here is Leonard Bernstein. It takes a while to get going but is bolstered by two great lead performances. Bradley Cooper is superb but Carey Mulligan is extraordinary. Grade: A-.

Time Addicts (out Dec 7) is an Australian film about two drug-taking folk who, aided by something they ingest, travel back and forth in time. In terms of the time travel genre, this isn't offering anything new. Average characters. Grade: C+.

The Boy and the Heron (out Dec 7) is the final film (apparently) of legendary director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) and is a hand-drawn animated feature about a 12-year-old whisked into an assortment of alternate words. Enjoyed the animation and music but, aside from the final 20 minutes, the weird mix of storylines don't generate much humour or emotion. Grade: B.