Baby Done (out Oct 22) is a New Zealand comedy about a woman who falls pregnant but is not yet ready for the change of lifestyle that comes with it. It's a fun idea but the story loses coherence in the second act and can't be saved by its predictable finale. Grade: B-.

Kajillionaire (out Oct 22) is the story of a 26-year-old (Evan Rachel Wood) who has had a repressed upbringing (thanks to her dodgy parents) and is now finally starting to learn more about the world. With lots of distinctive characters and imagery, this is both strange and entertaining. Grade: B+.

Corpus Christi (out Oct 22) is an outstanding, thought-provoking drama about a young man, fresh from a stint in a juvenile detention centre, who fraudulently becomes the new priest in a small Polish town. There's plenty to sit back and ponder here. It's easy to see why it was nominated at the Oscars for Best International Feature Film. Grade: A.

Hope Gap (out Oct 15) is the story of a husband and wife who separate after 29 years of marriage. It's not covering anything new (last year's Marriage Story had more to offer in terms of complexity and subplots) but it's still a film to be seen for its performances (Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, Josh O'Connor) and the way they deal with grief. Grade: B.

Irresistible (out Oct 15) is written and directed by Jon Stewart and is a political comedy about a Democratic campaign consultant who tries to help a military veteran win a mayoral race in small Wisconsin town. The film is not selling any new messages or solutions (e.g. we know money ruins politics) and, by over-exaggerating every scene, it’s pitching itself to the lowest common denominator. Grade: C+.

Bloody Hell (out Oct 8) is an Australian made horror-comedy about a convicted felon who is kidnapped in Finland for curious reasons. I wasn't a fan of the contrived flashbacks (to his life back in the US) but I enjoyed the lead performance of Ben O'Toole who makes you care about his character's fate. Grade: B.

Miss Juneteenth (out Oct 8) is the story of an African American woman trying to forge a better life for her 15-year-old daughter by entering her in a lucrative beauty pageant (first prize is a college scholarship). First time feature filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples has extracted two honest, meaningful performances from the two leads. Grade: B+.

Dirt Music (out Oct 8) is set in Western Australian and is the tale of two people who fall in love... but both have demons to exorcise before they can truly be happy. The film fails to elicit an emotional response and the finale is a cliché-laden head scratcher. Grade: C.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (out Oct 1) relies on its crux (a man trying to reclaim his family home) too heavily but it's still a powerful character study about one person's obsession with the past and their inability to look forward. The music and cinematography is top-notch. Grade: B+.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (out Oct 1) battles to condense everything inside of two hours but it's still a riveting courtroom drama (with a splash of comedy) that's filled with top-notch performances. Based on actual events, it's the true story of an eclectic group who were charged with inciting riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. A must see. Grade: A.