204: Getting Away With Murder: Info-heavy, this feature documentary unpacks the people and detail behind the killing of Brett Kebble, according to the people most involved. *** TS
A Most Wanted Man: Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s character study of loneliness is set in the world of modern-day spycraft and the rendition of spies to the tender mercies of the US war on terror. **** TS
Annabelle: In this prequel and spin-off to The Conjuring, fans are informed on the origins of the infamous demonic doll, which unleashed terror in the life of John and Mia Form. While the director does a commendable job creating an ambience of fear and actress Annabelle Wallis is forceful in her role, the storyline seems rather half-baked as it glosses over the all-important cult angle. *** DT
Brick Mansions: Hollywood rehash of a fun French adventure in which an undercover cop and an ex-convict navigate a ghetto in order to disarm a bomb. Great parkour sequences. *** TS
Eliza Graves: Period mystery thriller based on Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. (Not reviewed)
Magic in the Moonlight: Woody Allen directs a period drama set on the Côte d’Azur in the 1920s. Gorgeous to look at, but fails in both rom and com stakes. Colin Firth makes an excellent arrogant old guy though. *** TS
The Immigrant: Bleakly plotted but gorgeously filmed, this period drama gives us the dingy side of the American Dream, set in New York 1912. **** TS
African Safari 3D: Lion specialist Kevin Harrison and elephant specialist Mara Douglas-Hamilton go on safari. (Not reviewed)
Boyhood: Richard Linklater takes his time to tell the story of one child’s boyhood. While the technicality of filming is handled on an epic scale, the story, which delves into the human condition, is intimate. **** TS
Calvary: Brendon Gleeson gives a strong performance as a good-hearted Catholic priest being held to account for the sins of the church in an eccentric little Irish village. **** TS
City of Violence: Filmed in Cape Town, based on the Caryl Férey book, Zulu, this crime thriller gives us two different sides to the coin of forgiveness and redemption, but doesn’t exactly paint the Mother City or South Africa in a very forgiving light. *** TS
Gone Girl: Ben Affleck plays a husband who is accused of murdering his famous wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). A dark, twisted, psychologically beguiling offering, this movie is skilfully threaded with an identifiable sense of realism. *** DT
Good People: James Franco and Kate Hudson play a couple who liberate a bag of money from their dead tenant’s room. Then bad things happen. (Not Reviewed)
If I Stay: Drippy teen love story complete with lame dialogue and heartstring-yanking music will have the teens swooning and the adults sighing. ** HR
La Grande Belezza (The Great Beauty): Ambitious, beautifully filmed, thoroughly enthralling, this Italian character exploration is virtuoso filmmaking from director Paul Sorrentinto. **** HR
Let’s Be Cops: This would-be comedy does nothing with the admittedly strong chemistry between leads Damon Wayans Jr and Jake Johnson. * WP
Love is All You Need: Danish director Susanne Bier teases warm performances out of Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm in a picturesque Italian setting, redeeming the fluffy storyline. *** WP
Lucy: Le Femme Nikita meets The Fifth Element, which is cool on the one hand because it’s aaaaalll Luc Besson. But this is just Besson unfocused. *** BG
Million Dollar Arm: This Disney produced sports movie is amiable and predictable, covering all the bases on its way to its good-hearted ending. More fascinating though is the way it inadvertently shows America’s confused and contradictory attitude towards India. *** IND
No Se Aceptan Devoluciones (Instructions Not Included): Funny, sweet Mexican dramedy in which a clueless playboy turned stuntman has to raise a child. Polished and with some crossover appeal it is geared towards mainly Latinos in the know, but the surprisingly dark turn towards the end is welcome. *** WP
Snowpiercer: This stylish allegory about class, power structures and power run amok is wrapped up in the film tropes of an action flick, but works very well on both levels. Plus, Chris Evans does pained, troubled leader conflicted about leading, so well. ***H TS
Sunshine on Leith: The corn is thicker than the Scottish brogues, but plenty of Proclaimers fans won’t mind. *** HR
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cheesy, fun reboot if you don’t take it seriously, clichéd, plot light and dull if you take it seriously. *** TS
This is Where I Leave You: While it may be obvious where these characters are going, the strong ensemble cast keep your eyes riveted on them as they get through a funeral and all the drama that goes with family gatherings. *** TS
The 100-year-old man who climbed through a window and disappeared: Quirky, slightly absurd, darkly funny Swedish film about going with the flow, centred around a very ordinary guy. Sort of the Scandinavian version of Forrest Gump. **** TS
The Dolphin Tale 2: Just as sweet and amiable as the first film, this sequel is an old-fashioned drama for the whole family. *** WP
The Equalizer: Director Antoine Fuqua goes for stylish violence over dramatic characterisation. No matter how hard Denzil Washington tries, he can’t quite detract from all that brutality. ** TS
The Giver: Director Phillip Noyce evokes the visual splendour of Lois Lowry’s book, but none of the thought-provoking themes and the ending is just plain lazy. HH HR
The Hundred Foot Journey: Lasse Hallström directs Helen Mirren in a predictable feel-good dramedy. *** HR
The Hunt: A tough yet intriguing drama which looks at the way people can be whipped into a frenzy as well as how one man’s life is devastated when he makes a stand. Well told with fine ensemble acting. **** DdB
The Maze Runner: Post-apocalyptic sci-fi with teenagers in a Lord of the Flies situation, but surrounded by a concrete maze rather than the deep blue sea. By the time the storyline implodes, you are vested in the well-acted characters and solid action sequences. *** TS