James Mangold’s biopic follows the rise of Bob Dylan, with Timothée Chalamet brilliantly embodying his shapeshifting allure.

The film takes a reverent stance to Dylan’s artistry, populated by technically accomplished musical performances, and shot with a real sensitivity to the emotional landscape of each track. It opens with the musician’s arrival in New York City in 1961, a naive enthusiast searching out his heroes, Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) and Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy). It ends with the moment he bid them farewell, creatively, by performing with electric instruments, thus stretching his hand out to the rock scene, at 1965’s Newport Folk Festival.

Boyd Holbrook plays Johnny Cash, whose country stylings and assured stage power is a spur to Dylan. Dylan is torn between his sweet girlfriend Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) – a real person renamed here, touchingly, to her privacy – and folk musician Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), herself evidently touched by genius.

Interestingly the story, despite the classic music-biopic tropes that Mangold did so much to popularise in Walk the Line, does not conform to the classic rise-fall-learning-experience-comeback format. It’s all rise, but troubled and unclear. And Chalamet is brilliant.

A haunted house tale from the perspective of the spirit is a taut, atmospheric and visually arresting tale.

This ghost story, shot in total secrecy in 2023 by Steven Soderbergh, is set entirely inside a lovely, renovated, 100-year-old suburban home, and before the characters even have a chance to move in, the place is already occupied.

Matriarch Rebecca (Lucy Liu) and her nuclear family have moved in, and the spirit watches on as a seemingly idyllic unit begins to show its cracks. Captured in hypnotic long takes and wide angles, Rebecca fawns over her star-athlete son Tyler (Eddy Maday) while her daughter Chloe (Callina Liang) languishes in isolation. In the next room, her husband (Chris Sullivan) wonders if it’s even worth staying.

Much like Unsane, and Kimi; this is another opportunity for the director to work with tiny budgets, yet bold ideas. The camera here effortlessly glides around the house in long takes. Presence feels more like an experimental drama, or even art installation, than full-bore horror (the weak dispositioned will be safe here). Just prepare yourself for a sudden, and very dark gut-punch third act.

Britain's most loveable bear is back for another charming adventure, this time travelling deep into the South American rainforest.

Needing to break their routine, the Browns and Mrs. Bird join Paddington on a trip to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy, only for the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) who runs Lucy's retirement home to tell them she has vanished. With boat captain Hunter (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina, they venture into the jungle, where a mythical monument stirs rumours of El Dorado, sparking greed and leading to yet another perilous and purely Paddington-esque caper.

While both director and writer have changed since his last outing, things remains whimsical and fun. Packed with jokes and cultural references from Indiana Jones to The Sound of Music, the story playfully nods to British eccentricities, all seen through the eyes of this lovable furry outsider. Whishaw and co are as exceptional as always, while franchise newcomers Colman and Banderas dive right in, creating colourfully bonkers characters who are equally hilarious.

It might not quite match Paddington 2 (at this point a modern classic) but it’s still a blast, for audiences young and old. And stay for the closing credit sequences!

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Directors Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte breathe new life into the classic revenge tale for a new age.

The year is 1815 in Marseille, France. A 22-year-old Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney) is promoted to the captain and eagerly awaits marrying his fiancée, Mercédès. But when jealous peers frame him for a crime he didn’t commit, he winds up in the Château d'If dungeons for over a decade. Following a daring escape, he discovers a vast fortune and returns to France under the guise of the "Count of Monte Cristo," a persona he adopts to seek revenge on those who destroyed his life.

Every second of 180 minute runtime screams epic. Niney carries the film with ease, managing to depict Dantès’ journey from young charmer through righteous crusader to jaded old man wondering if revenge was what he should have lived for. The relentless push of his story ensures that you’re riveted to the bitter end.

Just like last year’s fantastic two-part adaptation of The Three Musketeers, this is an expert adaptation of a huge tale, told with appropriate passion and scope, and certain to ensure the French film industry continues to have a great time bringing its classics home.

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Alain Delon is magnetic as always in this compelling 1960s tale of homesickness, aspiration, anguish and rage.

Ageing widow Rosaria (Katina Paxinou) has come to Milan with four of her five sons (including Rocco, played by Delon) looking for an aspirational new start in the prosperous north. Their other brother Vincenzo (Spiros Focás) is already there, engaged to Ginetta (Claudia Cardinale), whose parents are hostile to this entire, uncouth southern clan turning up and showing signs of wanting charity. But Rosario and her boys get social housing; Ciro gets a job with Alfa Romeo, Luca as a grocer’s delivery boy, Rocco gets a job in an ultra-modern dry cleaner’s and Simone fatefully tries his luck as a boxer. But Simone is only to find, to his jealous rage, that Rocco is easily better than him at boxing. However, Simone and Rocco fall for the same local prostitute Nadia, whose murder breaks up the fractious family for good.

Director Luchino Visconti, who arguably founded the Italian neorealist movement, crafts a raw, energetic masterpiece bristling with well-measured tension and melodrama, with Milan itself becoming a central character

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Walter Salles' Oscar-nominated Brazilian drama is a gripping, beautifully crafted tale of a family navigating decades of tension with remarkable restraint and depth.

In the vibrant sunshine of 1971 Rio, Eunice and Rubens Paiva are raising their five lively children by the beach. As their eldest daughter Vera leaves for London to stay with her cousins, Rubens, a former congressman, is suddenly arrested under mysterious circumstances. Eunice and their teenage daughter Eliana are detained and later released, but the reasons for Rubens' arrest and his whereabouts remain a mystery. In time, Eunice relocates with the children to her hometown of Sao Paulo, where she trains as a lawyer, determined for the government to acknowledge their wrongdoing.

Each member of this boisterous family feels thoroughly authentic. As Eunice, Fernanda Torres gives a remarkably nuanced performance. She is quiet and tenacious, and we can see her deeper emotions just under the surface, as well as her determination to protect her children.

And while there's plenty of tension and outrage woven throughout the film, Salles’ measured approach puts a horrific chapter in Brazil's history in the context of how it affected, and continues to affect, real people.

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A heartfelt journey of growth in Pat Boonnitipat’s gently observational Thai comedy drama.

When Amah (Usha Seamkhum) is diagnosed with cancer, her daughter Sew urges her son M (Putthipong Assaratanakul) to spend more time with his grandmother. Initially motivated by the potential of inheritance, M grows increasingly intrigued by Amah’s wit and wisdom. As M begins to care for her, he discovers the depth of her life experience, and their bond grows into something sincere and heartfelt.

Boonnitipat’s direction keeps everything understated, even as emotions rise. The evolving relationship between M and Amah is engaging, as he learns not only about his grandmother’s stresses but also her generational knowledge that guides him through his own life. Assaratanakul gives a terrific performance, capturing M’s transformation from aloof teen to a more grounded and thoughtful grandson. Seamkhum also shines, particularly in a powerful scene where Amah retains her dignity after being cruelly dismissed by her brother.

Packed with terrific moments that put life in context, it’s a remarkably warm and involving film, highlighting how family relationships can evolve in unexpected, poignant ways

Edward Berger’s riveting papal drama blends spy-thriller suspense with a wry observation on the electoral process.

After the Pope dies, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with managing his fellow cardinals in the conclave, navigating tension between progressive candidates like his friend Bellini (Tucci) and more narrow-minded conservatives such as Tremblay (John Lithgow), who had a mysterious meeting with the Pope just before he died. As questions arise and contenders emerge, Lawrence begins digging into rumours, all while worried that he's getting votes himself. And no one notices that Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) is carefully observing all of this.

Berger and writer Peter Straughan expertly play with layers of narrative while a solid cast brings textured characters to life. Fiennes makes Lawrence inscrutable as he grapples with his self-image, refusing to see himself as a potential Pope until the world begins to shift. His camaraderie with the skilfully internalised Tucci is wonderful to watch.

It all may be set out as a look into the workings of the Catholic Church, but it's also a clever and timely swipe at organised religion, asking questions about the truth that often gets lost in institutional power plays.

Mapping the regeneration of over-farmed and polluted land given over to the wild, this is a welcome story about nature’s ability to just get on with it.

This a documentary about the rewilding project at the Knepp estate in West Sussex. The land belongs to Sir Charles Burrell, who inherited the five-and-a-half square mile estate. The plan was to follow in the family tradition of farming, but the heavy clay soil at Knepp didn’t suit modern intensive methods so, in 2000, £1.5m in debt, Burrell and his conservationist wife, conveniently named Isabella Tree, sold the cows and let everything go to seed.

Looking at Knepp’s unruly landscape today, what’s startling is the realisation that countryside as most of us understand it isn’t actually countryside as nature intended.  Knepp is not postcard pretty but its wild beauty is habitat heaven. Species virtually extinct elsewhere are thriving: from butterflies to turtle doves and nightingales. Amazingly, the first wild storks born in the UK in 600 years hatched at Knepp.

This delightful film is a heartwarming speck of biodiversity; good news among the depressing headlines.

Gia Coppola’s latest film stars Pamela Anderson as an older showgirl reflecting on a thankless career in the entertainment industry.

This beautiful and poignant drama follows Shelley (Anderson), a dancer in the long-running Vegas show, Razzle-Dazzle. The film captures the final two weeks of the show’s run through Shelly’s eyes as she comes to grips with being the oldest showgirl in the outdated show. She has an estranged relationship with her daughter and she may be interested in starting one with a producer of the show she’s on, Eddie (Dave Bautista).

She gets some advice about her life and work from a retired dancer/cocktail waitress and friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis). When bad news comes her way she has to re-evaluate her life and figure out what to do. Anderson, who of course was a massive sex symbol and icon of the nineties, gives the performance of her career. The industry that once celebrated her physical beauty has long since moved on, but that’s the way life goes; we never know what’s going to happen next. We don’t always get a happy ending. We only have right now.

Jalmari Helander’s delirious, blood-splattered WWII grindhouse throwback.

Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is a Finnish loner mining for gold out in the middle of a barren-wasteland during the last desperate days of the second world war. Ultimately striking upon a bountiful treasure, he sets off on his horse with his fluffy dog in tow, determined to reap the rewards of his find. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner.

The result is a bloodbath of lunatic extremeness, as expertly staged as its recurring sights of Nazis meeting their deserved demise is satisfying. Indebted to Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns (most notably, via chapter cards featuring Ennio Morricone-ish punctuation) there’s also clear influence from the likes of John Wick and maybe a bit of Mad Max: Fury Road thrown in for maniacal good measure.

Cult films aren’t deliberately made. They’re spontaneously created by word-of-mouth, their outrageousness, absurdity and all-around badassery spread far and wide by fans who’ve discovered their awesomeness. Destined to assume a place in the pantheon of modern underground favourites, Sisu more than lives up to the hype.

Moonlight director Barry Jenkins isn’t the first filmmaker that springs to mind when wanting a Lion King prequel made, yet here we are.

This origin story for Mufasa, father of Simba and the character whose death is the inciting incident in the original film, is a visually arresting spectacle. At the heart of the story is the conflicted bond between two brothers. This dynamic is complicated by the fact that the young Mufasa (Braelyn Rankins as a cub; Aaron Pierre as an adult), who was separated by raging flood waters from his parents, and Taka (Theo Somolu as a cub; Kelvin Harrison Jr as an adult), a lion princeling of noble birth, aren’t related by blood. After Taka rescues Mufasa from the jaws of crocodiles, Mufasa is adopted by Taka’s pride and claimed by Taka as a brother.

Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumba (Seth Rogan) are, of course, on hand for some antics, as there’s no way you could really leave these now-iconic comic reliefs on the bench. Freed from the shackles of adhering to the original, this delightful and gorgeous film will captivate all ages.

Claes Bang takes aim at the the legendary Swiss marksman in Nick Hamm’s stern period epic.

Set in 1307, this sweeping historical epic brings to life the legendary tale of a Swiss hero who must rise against an invading Austrian force. Claes Bang delivers a powerful, stoic performance as William Tell, a man weary of war but compelled to defend his homeland when his son’s life is threatened. Opening with the iconic moment of Tell aiming his crossbow at an apple on his son’s head, the film then unfolds in flashback, showing how the conflict escalated and his people rallied to arms.

Hamm fills the screen with stunning landscapes, from lush forests to towering castles, all shot with cinematic flair by Jamie D. Ramsay. This rich visual storytelling is complemented by an evocative score from Steven Price, whose soaring strings and pounding drums add emotional weight. Bang’s portrayal of the conflicted hero is magnetic, while the international cast, including Ben Kingsley and Golshifteh Farahani, brings added depth.

A gripping take on the timeless struggle for freedom

Bridget Jones is back for one last hoorah in this vulnerable, honest and very funny final chapter.

Spoiler. Mark Darcy is dead. In fact, he’s been dead for four years. Bridget is taking it about as well as can be expected. Now older and (slightly) wiser, she’s a singleton once more and finds herself at a crossroads. Though she’s grown, learned from her mistakes, and evolved, she’s still ultimately the same Bridget at heart. After jumping back into the dating pool, she finds herself caught between a younger man and her son's science teacher. Surrounded by her faithful friends (Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, and James Callis), her withering gynecologist (Emma Thompson), and ageing playboy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), Bridget weighs up whether to let herself fall in love all over again.

‘Fourquels’ are usually where film franchises start to flirt with rock bottom. But not this time. Renée Zellweger, who for 24 years has given us possibly the greatest romantic-comedy heroine of the millennium, is Mad About the Boy’s life-force. The nature of her performance and obvious admiration for the role brings everything together here, re-capturing the magic, humour, and heartbreak of the original and bowing out with its best sequel.

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The cobbled streets of Troyes set the stage for love, laughter, and plenty of good vintages in this charming French rom-com.

Wine dealer Jacques (Bernard Campan) suffers a heart attack while hauling a crate, forcing him to give up drinking and hire an assistant, Steve (Mounir Amamra), whose wine knowledge is lacking. Meanwhile, Jacques is intrigued by Hortense (Isabelle Carré), a kindhearted woman who buys expensive wine for the homeless. A wine tasting brings them closer, but secrets and past wounds complicate their budding romance. Can Jacques open his heart to love while navigating his new, sober life?

Best known for past romantic dramedies Irene and Cheating Love, director Ivan Calbérac keeps his latest film engaging, thanks largely to the charisma of its two leads. Campan and Carré may seem like an unlikely pair (though French cinema thrives on such pairings), but their chemistry feels genuine, and they bring depth to their characters’ past traumas.

With plenty of comedic relief, a touch of danger and tragedy, and a generous pour of double entendres and fine wine, it’s an all-round entertaining and satisfying experience

Taking its name from a certain TV show, The Apprentice is a shrewd and darkly amusing tragicomedy that dramatises Donald Trump's rise to fame and fortune in the 1970s and 80s.

Donald (Sebastian Stan in a garish wig) is first seen as a young man working for a New York real estate company run by his father, knocking on doors and collecting rent from his impoverished tenants, but he dreams of opening a luxury high-rise hotel near Central Station. Enter Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), a vicious lawyer. Donald is spellbound by his three rules for success: always attack, never admit to any wrongdoing, and never admit defeat. Donald then embarks on building his empire, by any means necessary.

The film, which Trump himself called “garbage”, is a surprisingly witty and surreal affair; and one that adds an extra sting in the tail now that he’s running the country again. While it does slide into more conventional biopic beats in the second half, it’s still a fun and engaging dramedy; plus, any excuse for Succession fans to catch Kendall Roy on the big screen is worth a ticket.

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Opulent, velveteen, and a site of utter hedonism. No, it’s not The Rex but the Kit Kat Club on the big screen in the BFI’s fabulous reissue of Cabaret.

Based on Christopher Isherwood’s account of his time living in Berlin in the early thirties and his 1951 play, I Am a Camera, Cabaret first enjoyed success as a stage musical. Recently revived on the West End and starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley as Emcee and Sally, the timing of the return of Bob Fosse’s 1972 film adaptation could not be more apt.

Set in the eve of the Weimar Republic, Cabaret centres upon Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli), a young American performer whose pursuit of bohemian pleasures is as self-destructive as it is liberating. When Brian Roberts (Michael York), a reserved Englishman, moves into the boarding house where Sally lives, their oppositional natures generate an instant and magnetic bond. When Sally introduces Brian to the metropolitan Arcadia of the cabaret club - a locus of glitz, glamour, and greed - it appears to offer a bejewelled shelter from the reality of the increasing oppression of Fascism’s influence. But soon enough, unexpected pregnancies, affairs, and forbidden marriages begin to expose the unavoidability of the more unmusical aspects of life.

 With its iconic soundtrack of songs including Maybe This Time and Money Money, and the decadency of Rolf Zehetbaeur’s production design and Charlotte Flemming’s costumes, Cabaret offers a visual and sonic polyphony of rare quality.

Goofy gags galore as Dave Pilkey’s half-dog, half-cop Captain Underpants spin-off makes his big screen debut.

Dog Man is a gloriously funny creation: a kung-fu master and crime-fighter with an obsession for squirrels. Much like Aardman’s Feathers McGraw, he speaks volumes without ever uttering a word. Here we get the full origin story treatment. After a life-saving surgery fuses a police dog and his officer, Dog Man is born: sworn to protect, serve, and fetch. Battling feline supervillain Petey, he forms an unexpected bond with Petey’s cloned kitten, Lil Petey. And when Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten.

This is the latest in a recent streak of top-tier animation from DreamWorks. With it’s stand-out, chew-toy-textured animation and fast-paced, madcap humour, Dog Man bursts with the energy of a classroom full of six-year-olds on the last day before summer break. It’s a stark contrast to last year’s visually rich and deeply heartfelt The Wild Robot, but still strikes that essential balance of entertaining both children and adults alike.

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Laurent Tirard’s fun and frothy French comedy sees a peloton of nuns race for renovation of their dilapidated hospice.

When the local nursing home is on the brink of collapse, it falls to Mother Veronique (Valérie Bonneton) and the five quirky sisters of the St. Benedict convent to find a solution. Their big break comes when they spot a poster for a bike race offering a €25,000 cash prize and a trip to the Vatican for the winner. It seems like the perfect opportunity, but there's one major problem: none of the sisters are skilled cyclists. To make matters worse, their rival convent, led by Mother Veronique's childhood nemesis, Mother Josephine (Sidse Babett Knudsen), has their own plans for the prize money. But as they say, God works in mysterious ways.

Tirard, a versatile filmmaker with a talent for balancing lighthearted narratives with emotional depth, died at the age of 57 last September following a long illness. Here, the stunning landscapes of France’s Jura region provide a beautiful backdrop for his final film, a heartfelt and uplifting tale of resilience, camaraderie, and faith.