Scream (out Jan 13) strays a little too far towards an over-the-top Scary Movie style spoof, but it's good enough. It straddles the line between having characters smart enough to understand horror movie cliches... while making them dumb enough to fall into horror movie cliches. Works better as a comedy than a horror-thriller (the plot is thin). Quality cast. Grade: B.

King Richard (out Jan 13) delves into the upbringing of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams with a strong focus on their coach-father, Richard. Too melodramatic in places but I like the narrow timeline, the great performances, and the discussion it will generate when it comes to parents, kids and sport. Most should enjoy this. Grade: A-.

Limbo (out Jan 13) is the story of Syrian refugee seeking a new home on a cold Scottish island. With odd music choices and a noticeable lack of dialogue, this is a dark comedy which shows us the typical day-to-day grievances of refugees. They overcome the depressing uncertainty of their future by banding together and looking at life through a humorous lens. It also captures the turmoil of a person looking for a fresh start but who cannot escape his past. Also, no urinating in the freeze aisle. Grade: A-.

The Addams Family 2 (out Jan 6) is a sequel to the not-so-good animated feature from 2019 and follows the unusual family as they go on an impromptu holiday to avoid dealing with a tricky issue. It’s repetitive (eg humans horrified everywhere the family goes) but the story is better this time around and I enjoyed the morbid humour. Grade: B.

Red Rocket (out Jan 6) is the story of a washed-up, self-absorbed male porn star struggling to come to grips with life outside of the industry. He’s an irritating but interesting character to follow. As director Sean Baker has shown in previous films (eg The Florida Project), the world can be a bleak place for some. Grade: A-.

The King’s Man (out Jan 6) is a disappointing prequel to the 2014 and 2017 releases. The characters are less interesting, the laughs are largely absent (this is much heavier), and the action/fight scenes are uninspired. Keep your expectations low. Grade: C.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (out Jan 1) taps into the recent success of Stranger Things and focuses on a bunch of kids humorously discovering and battling some paranormal beings. A nice mix of new characters and old favourites. Grade: B+.

House of Gucci (out Jan 1) is a long slog. It’s amazing how little story is told and how little suspense is built across 158 minutes. The two leads, played by Adam Driver and Lady Gaga, are a dull, one-note couple. I wish more attention was given to supporting characters played by Al Pacino and Jared Leto. Grade: B-.

Clifford the Big Red Dog (out Dec 30) doesn't make enough of its outlandish premise. A giant canine with entertain young kids for 90 minutes but the one-dimensional characters and simplistic depiction of issues (e.g. bullying) prevent it from being something more lasting and memorable. Grade: C+.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (out Dec 26) is a fresh adaptation of Shakespeare’s work with some serious star power behind it including director Joel Coen and actors Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. It's not my favourite work from The Bard but the great performances and production values (emphasis on cinematography and sets) bring the best out of the material. Grade: A-.