THE WEEKEND IS coming up, and that means new movies for you to see. But which is a must-watch, and are there any you should avoid?

We take a look.

Rosewater

What we know

Based on a true story about an Iranian-Canadian journalist detained in Iran under suspicion of being a spy. Directed by the Jon Stewart.

What the critics say

• “ as Bahari gets caught up in protests and police reprisals, Stewart, working with a small crew… produces scrappy sequences with loosely fitted-together shots and dialogue that’s a little clunky and overexplicit, even didactic.” - The New Yorker
• “[T]he gripping, intelligent directorial debut of TV personality Jon Stewart, who also wrote the screenplay, based on Bahari’s post-prison memoir, “Then They Came For Me.”- RogerEbert.com

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 6.6/10
• IMDB: 6.6/10

Spooks: The Greater Good

What we know

Kit Harington of Game of Thrones stars. A terrorist leader escapes from MI5 custody, and Harington is the dude sent to find him before he launches a terrorist attack on London. No swords involved.

What the critics say

• “Had The Greater Good been on BBC1, perhaps over two nights, it would have felt like espionage Christmas had come early, but in the isolation of a single hit, it struggles to fill the screen.” - Radio Times 
• “Kit Harington, newly on board as a loose-cannon operative Harry lures back into the fold, is more of an asset here than the dour, one-note Firth, who goes through the motions of deepening his character without convincing us he’s adding anything much of substance.” - The Telegraph 

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 6.3/10
• IMDB: None yet 

Top Five

What we know

Chris Rock and Kevin Hart team up for a comedy (obv) about an actor named Andre Allen about to wed a reality TV star.

What the critics say

• “Top Five is Chris Rock’s greatest accomplishment yet, mixing his signature brand of comedy with a hip and savvy filmmaking technique borrowed from some of cinema’s finest.” - Screen Rant
• “Rock has finally found a big-screen vehicle for himself that comes close to capturing the electric wit, shrewd social observations and deeply autobiographical vein of his standup comedy.” - Variety
• “But on its own, “Top Five” is a funny but frustrating film, one where every laugh involves playing along with Rock’s infuriatingly lazy script.” – The Wrap

What’s it rated? 

• RottenTomatoes: 7.3/10
• IMDB: 6.6/10

Which film would you go see first?

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More