Olga (out May 4) is set in 2013 and is a Swiss film about a 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast who flees her home country in pursuit of her sporting dreams. It's a worthy subject matter but the repetitive nature of some scenes (her training regime) limits the scope. Grade: B-.

Cairo Conspiracy (out May 4) is a thriller about a naive university student at a prestigious Egyptian university who is unwillingly caught up in a power struggle for the university's top job. The Egyptian setting will heighten interest levels (it's a great setting) but when you look beyond that, it’s a standard, Hollywood-style, spy flick. Grade: B.

80 for Brady (out Apr 27) stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field as octogenarians from Boston who travel to the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston to cheer on the team and their beloved Tom Brady. Loooooooosely based on a true story, this is a goofy comedy that is more focused on unrealistic skits than character development. A few jokes hit the mark but I'd keep your expectations low. Grade: C+.

Polite Society (out Apr 27) finds a way to balance goofiness, emotion and spectacle. Mixing a range of genres, it's the British story of a high school student, Ria, who is furious at her old sister for getting engaged to a guy she just met. Newcomer Priya Kansara, in her first feature film, is excellent in the lead role. Grade: B+.

Beau is Afraid (out Apr 20) is a 3-hour epic from director Ari Aster (Hereditary) about a middle aged man (Joaquin Phoenix) with stress and mummy issues. This is bold and ambitious... and frustrating. Scenes drag on far too long and while I appreciate its open-to-interpretation nature, it's a long slog. Grade: C+.

Evil Dead Rise (out Apr 20) requires no knowledge of previous films in the franchise and is a gory, effective, R-rated horror flick clocking in at a tight 97 minutes. If you like a simple story with blood, gore, brains, and broken bones, this is for you! Grade: B+.

The Giants (out Apr 20) is an Australian documentary which is partly about the life of Bob Brown, and partly about the way trees play a critical role within the environment. Not a lot of new material (other docos have covered parts of this) but it provides a succinct, interesting look at its subjects. Grade: B.

The Innocent (out Apr 20) is a peculiar French comedy involving crime, family and romance. Gets a tick for being randomly unorthodox but the characters make decisions which are tough to reconcile at times. Grade: B.

A Good Person (out Apr 20) is the story of two unlikely people (played by Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh) who help each other following a tragic event. Other films have covered the subject of addiction in a more convincing and emotional manner (The Lost Weekend, The Basketball Diaries, Requiem for a Dream) but this warrants your time for its two lead performances. Grade: B.

Mafia Mamma (out Apr 13) is a combination of Under the Tuscan Sun and The Godfather (never thought I'd ever say that). A simple American mum travels to Italy for her grandfather's funeral and winds up being a Mafia leader. Characters don't stay true to themselves, and most jokes are terrible... but Australian Toni Collette earns a few laughs with her over-the-top performance. Grade: C+.