What’s it about?
A high schooler who makes deliberately terrible parody films with his friend is forced by his mother to spend time with a schoolmate who is dying of cancer.

What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: We have seen emotional teenage movies before but there is a freshness about the quirky Me, Earl and the Dying Girl that sets it somewhat apart. It utilises familiar tropes – high school cliques, unusual parental relationships, etc – and intertwines them with some genuinely funny and fresh perspectives. It’s incredibly engaging and, despite its strong manipulative nature, most people will leave deep in thought and with their heart on their sleeve. It asks questions of the viewer on how you would react to a life-threatening disease but subtly rather than in your face. And delivers a few unexpected gems that only add to the emotional stew. Well worth a look.

What’s it about?
An impossibly handsome down-on-his-luck twenty-something (Zac Efron) dreams of being a DJ, his thuggish friend dreams of getting in more fights, his drug-dealing friend dreams of getting rich, his dopey looking friend dreams of something better. They party a lot, Zac meets an impossibly good-looking chicky-babe, things go bad, things go good. PCP EDM 128 BPM HASHTAG What – WHAT?

What we thought
Stephen Scott says: like American beer, We Are Your Friends is fun, fairly lightweight, but has a good heart. The target audience will love it then promptly forget about it 5 seconds later.

Want more in-depth analysis? Consider #WAYF to be a 21C version of Plato’s Republic, The Lord of The Rings, heck, even The Bible: it’s a morality tale to help you understand and avoid life’s pitfalls. It’s a story for today’s teens, tweens and in-betweens: you’re probably never going to make it big, but hey, someone does, so why not give it a go? Oh, and drugs are awesome! Oh, and don’t do drugs.

Post-script: it must be a nightmare growing up amongst the perfect people in The Valley. Bulging biceps, shining pearly white teeth and jaw-droopingly-amazing how-do-they-defy-gravity-like-that hand-crafted boobies as far as the eye can see. Maybe that’s why they drink so much. And take so many drugs. Lots of drugs. So many drugs. Don’t do drugs.

What’s it about?
Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a pro boxer with a dodgy defence technique but a string of wins under his light heavyweight champion belts. When tragedy strikes his wife (Rachel McAdams) and daughter (Oona Laurence) and custody of his child is taken away, he has to fight to get his life – and career – back on track, with the help of a new, old school trainer (Forest Whitaker).

What did we think?
Angela says: Even though this film has a stellar cast who produce some stonking performances (special nods to Whitaker, McAdams and Laurence). Even though the fight scenes are horrendously, gruesomely well done (as one of those who finds boxing to be the epitome of human savagery, I had my face turned away for a third of the film). Even though I had a tear in my eye on more than one occasion. And even though it’s not actually the same storyline. This still feels like Rocky-lite. Sorry, but it does. It’s a good film but it won’t have Sly’ staying power.

What’s it about?

When Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) move from Chicago to Los Angeles to start a new life they encounter an old friend of Simon’s who takes a keen interest in their lives.

What did we think?

Nick says with strong, confident stylistic choices from director Joel Edgerton and great performances from all involved, especially Rebecca Hall, The Gift offers a well paced narrative and rising tension that starts from the minute one right up until the curtain closes.