Nyad (out Oct 19) is far from perfect (just like its protagonist) but worth a look-see. It’s based on the true story of a 64-year-old woman who, in fulfilling a life-long dream, swam 177km from Cuba to the United States. A few subplots are clumsily handled (child abuse) but the up-and-down friendship between Diana Nyad and her loyal coach is brilliantly fleshed out by stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. Grade: B.

Oink (out Oct 19) is a stop-motion animated feature about a young Vegan girl and her pet pig. Make in The Netherlands and clocking in at just 72 minutes, this is super cute and offers both low-tone (poop jokes) and high-tone (dark stuff) humour. Grade: A-.

The Origin of Evil (out Oct 19) is a French drama-thriller about a poverty-stricken factory worker who reaches out to her estranged, wealthy father. It gets a bit too conveniently twisty in the later stages but Laure Calamy is terrific in the lead role. Grade: B.

The Crime is Mine (out Oct 12) is an off-the-rails French film which pays tribute to 1930s screwball comedies. It's centred on a struggling actress who, despite being innocent, pleads guilty to the murder of a renowned producer to help further her career. The script drags in places... but the finale is a winner and the cast create a fun energy. Grade: B-.

Lie with Me (out Oct 12) is a French film about a successful writer who visits his childhood town for the first time in 35 years and is flooded by a wave of old memories... and new learnings. The performances are superb and director Olivier Peyon finds the right balance of comedy, drama, and romance. Grade: A-.

Expendables 4 (out Oct 5) is a limp action piece with rushed, over-edited battle scenes and uninspired comedy. Not sure how much life this series has left in it. Grade: C+.

The Exorcist: Believer (out Oct 5) is a lacklustre horror-thriller about two demonically-possessed girls and their parents trying to help. I like it’s early approach as a more realistic, character-driven piece (Leslie Odom Jr is quite good) but the finale lacks spark. Grade: B-.

Shayda (out Oct 5) is Australia's entry for Best International Feature at next year’s Academy Awards and is a superb, thought-provoking piece of cinema. Inspired by the upbringing of writer-director Noora Niasari, the film is set in 1990s and is centred on an Iranian mother living in a women’s shelter in Melbourne. The cast are meticulous in imparting each character’s emotions onto the audience. Grade: A-.

Saw X (out Sep 28) is struggling to extract anything new. Even the torture porn is starting to become tired and familiar. The contrived finale, full of conveniences, ruins any chance of creating something cool and different. Grade: C+.

The Creator (out Sep 28) is largely set in 2070 and is a sci-fi action flick centred on a war between East and West over artificial technology and its role in society.  The themes are ambitious and the futuristic details are cool… but the story leans too heavily into familiar tropes and the characters aren’t all that interesting. Grade: C+.