Mr Turner (12A)
(Mike Leigh, 2014, UK) Timothy Spall, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson. 150 mins
If this biopic was like a Turner painting it would be vague to the point of abstraction; but in fact it’s the opposite: precise, richly detailed and teeming with human life. But it’s still glorious to behold and epic in its scope. With his class-conscious eye Leigh sketches out the entire Victorian social landscape around Turner, while Spall’s brusque, earthy-yet-romantic lead is an unforgettable creation.
Nightcrawler (15)
(Dan Gilroy, 2014, US) Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed. 117 mins
Scarily gaunt and manic, Gyllenhaal is an unsettling presence as a vampiric freelance newshound, stalking LA crime scenes with his camera. The movie around him is equally unsettled, a beguiling mix of media satire, black comedy, urban horror and film noir.
The Overnighters (12A)
(Jesse Moss, 2014, US) 102 mins
A heart-rending observation of American economic desperation takes some astonishingly dramatic turns here. The focus is a driven Dakota pastor offering shelter to migrant jobseekers, though local opposition and personal demons take the story where no one could have predicted.
Horns (15)
(Alexandre Aja, 2013, US/Can) Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Heather Graham. 120 mins
Blamed for the death of his girlfriend and sprouting a set of satanic accessories, Radcliffe certainly has issues to deal with here. More fantasy black comedy than horror.
Ouija (15)
(Stiles White, 2013, US) Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff. 89 mins
Popcorn scares but no big surprises in this horror quickie, in which teens’ attempts to contact a dead friend via the occult boardgame inevitably backfire.
The Necessary Death Of Charlie Countryman (15)
(Fredrik Bond, 2013, Rom/US) Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood. 103 mins
LaBeouf’s Romanian backpacking jaunt rapidly turns into a nocturnal gangster/romantic/hallucinatory/wrong-man thriller – a bit of a mess, in other words, but at least an energetic one.
Extraterrestrial (15)
(Colin Minihan, 2014, Can) Brittany Allen, Freddie Stroma, Melanie Papalia. 98 mins
Close Encounters collides with cabin-in-the-woods horror with unsurprising results in this rather generic alien abduction scenario.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (PG)
(Don Siegel, 1956, US) Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates. 80 mins
The original, allegory-friendly, alien-paranoia sci-fi whose doppelganger scenario is still pretty disturbing.
The Woman In Black (15)
(James Watkins, 2011, UK) Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer. 93 mins
The superior ghost horror reissued to rival Horns (see left) for the Halloween Radcliffe audience.
Super Nani (PG)
(Indra Kumar, 2014, Ind) Rekha, Sharman Joshi, Randhir Kapoor. 133 mins
Bollywood veteran Rekha plays a neglected granny in this domestic drama.
Out from Friday
Leviathan Andrey Zvyagintsev’s powerful study of modern Russian corruption.
Interstellar Humanity’s destiny is among the stars in Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated sci-fi epic.
The Skeleton Twins Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader in a straight sibling drama.
Say When Keira Knightley has maturity issues.
The Case Against 8 Doc on the legal battle for gay marriage in the US.
November Man Retired assassin Pierce Brosnan finds himself up against his young protege.
Set Fire To The Stars Dylan Thomas goes to America with Elijah Wood.
One Rogue Reporter Doc giving the tabloid press a dose of its own medicine.
The Possibilities Are Endless On singer Edwyn Collins’s debilitating stroke.
The Remaining Christian Rapture disaster movie.
Sacro GRA Survey of lives on the outskirts of Rome.
Playtime Critique of modernist architecture.
Coming soon
In two weeks... Code Cumberbatch for war drama The Imitation Game… Tom Hardy in crime thriller The Drop…
In three weeks... Sate yourself with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1… James Brown biopic Get On Up…
In a month... Toy bear reboot with Paddington… Employment issues for Jason Bateman in Horrible Bosses 2…
