Pearl (out Mar 16) is a sequel to last year's above-average horror-thriller X. This is a different style of movie (fewer characters, unusual "scares") and while I don't think the script is as interesting as the original, it's to be seen for Mia Goth's lead performance and the use of facial close-ups and long takes. Grade: B.

Living (out Mar 16) is an English remake of a 1952 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa (Ikiru). It's the tale of a dull, humourless, London Council bureaucrat who, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, takes time away from work and embraces new activities. It would be easy to overplay the role but Bill Nighy, in his Oscar nominated role, is near-perfect as he extracts just the right dose of sympathy from audiences. Grade: A-.

65 (out Mar 9) is a limp sci-fi flick which is best described as a topsy-turvy Jurassic Park. Instead of dinosaurs coming into the current day, the film is set 65 million years in the past where a human fights off dinosaurs. The sound effects ain't too bad but the script is a snooze-fest. Grade: C.

Scream VI (out Mar 9) shows there’s life in this franchise yet. It makes the most of locations (like subways) in its New York City setting, and it will keep audiences guessing throughout. No one acts in a rational manner but, because of the film’s spoof-like nature, this makes it all the more fun and entertaining. Grade: B+.

Till (out Mar 9) is a very good 1950s drama about an African American mother seeking justice after her 14-year-old is brutally murdered while visiting cousins in Mississippi. This is well told and well acted. Can't ask for much more in generating the necessary emotions. Grade: A-.

Champions (out Mar 9) is based on a Spanish film which was based on a true story. A self-centred basketball coach (Woody Harrelson) is forced to coach a team of intellectually disabled players as part of community service. It's predictable but the cast, with an emphasis on Kaitlin Olson and the players themselves, make this work. Grade: B.

To Leslie (out Mar 9) is repetitive at times but it’s an affecting tale about a homeless woman who, for the most part, is constantly self-sabotaging any chance she has to get her life back on track. Andrea Riseborough earned an Oscar nomination for her great performance as the film’s alcoholic, chain-smoking, always-lying, train wreck protagonist. Grade: B+.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (out Mar 9) is an Oscar nominated documentary about the life of artist Nan Goldin and her efforts to draw attention to opioid addiction. Relying as much on photography as it does video, Goldin is a fascinating individual for whom no subject is off limits. Grade: A-.

Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival (out Mar 9) is a rudimentary documentary about the famous Irish explorer and a troublesome voyage to Antarctica in 1915. Moderately interesting if you haven't heard this tale before but it's more of a high school history lesson than an inspiring, captivating movie. Grade: B-.

Creed III (out Mar 2) has a slightly iffy set up (characters not always staying true to themselves) but it comes together nicely with a well-paced, energising finale. Michael B. Jordan, who also serves as director, and Jonathan Majors, as a freshly introduced character, are both excellent in the lead roles. Grade: B+.