There are whispers of a great movie in The Watchers, with Ishana’s directorial eye occasionally shining through the film’s middling aspects, however at present her directing style feels imitatively beholden to superficial notions of M. Night’s storytelling sensibilities, and I’d love for her to find her footing amidst the depths of the forest.

Inside Out 2 is another easy home run for Pixar, especially when it has a strong message that everyone can relate to.

To put it bluntly, The Exorcism is an atmospherically stagnant cinematic offering akin to a long walk down a windy beach to a café that isn’t open.

There's a decent helping of funny-bad horror movie moments that include a particularly saucy burger, the ol’ spontaneously exploding motorcycle trick, and a singular rat being treated as if it's the most terrifying creature on the planet, but the overall experience is about as satisfying as eating soup with a fork.

At the end of the day this is a reasonably satisfying and serviceable entry in the series, a Jerry Bruckheimer production through and through, and possibly my second favourite behind Bad Boys II.

Rewatching The Phantom Menace sent me far beyond the realms of good or bad; I left with an admiration for a deeply strange film, and a slight cynicism that we may never quite see the likes of it again.

Not so much applying brakes to the franchise as it is shifting gears, Furiosa is a triumphantly Aussie blockbuster.

Just a month after the release of Dev Patel’s Monkey Man we get yet another thrilling directorial debut entering into the action subgenre - putting emphasis on crazy fight choreography - in Moritz Mohr’s brand new sci-fi bonanza Boy Kills World.

Long-time fans of the franchise will be happy to know that Kingdom serves as a serviceable yet clunky inaugural instalment for a new trilogy – teasing a slew of new concepts which will undoubtedly enrich the mythos of this long standing series in the future.

The Fall Guy is the rare blockbuster studio film that feels simultaneously old school and fresh in execution. It is incredibly funny, fast-paced and deeply romantic. At its core, however, the film is a love letter to the stunt community and the incredible work they do to entertain audiences.

Fremont isn’t a thrilling film, and perhaps one that requires an eager mood, but you could scarcely imagine leaving the cinema without a sense of distinct peace. 

In Divinity, writer-director Eddie Alcazar seems to have crafted a readymade cult object. A film completely furnished with textual references, grotesque violence, hyper-stylised visuals, and mixed media experimentation, seemingly destined to attract a small coterie of like-minded fans and repeat viewers. The only issue is that I can’t imagine anyone sitting through this twice.

Guadagnino has served up a smash hit, and it’s up to audiences to decide what to do now that the ball is in their court.

Monkey Man tells the story of a nameless young man, referred to in the credits as “Kid” and using the self-applied alias “Bobby”, a fighter at an underground boxing ring in Yatana, as he attempts to infiltrate the ranks of the powerful upper class to enact violent revenge for the massacre of his village - a story that mirrors the Hindu epic of Hanuman, the white monkey. 

The First Omen is a quiet triumph for modern horror, understanding the delicate balance between terror and beauty, and between homage and innovation.

Galluppi’s mindfulness in crafting The Last Stop in Yuma County truly shows what outstanding stories can come from taking a leap in the dark.

While The New Empire may not be exactly treading new ground, it does succeed at something that few modern blockbusters do - being fun. GxK delivers on a monster mashup of epic proportions, with a few little surprises up its sleeve and just enough creativity to inspire hope for the franchise ahead.

Fans of bizarre, esoteric and extreme films, who live around Melbourne and Sydney can rejoice, because it's that time of year - Fantastic Film Festival Australia is back once again.

As it is, Kung Fu Panda 4 is a worthy sequel and enjoyable film, even if it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

This is a fun movie. Longtime fans will probably love Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire the most, but at the end of the day, it won’t grab the imagination of any new audiences.