Rev Dr Richard Leonard SJ, film critic for the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has compiled a list suggesting some of the finest movies from the past four years to get sunk into.

The reasons the church continues to honour the Apostle of Ireland more than 1500 years after his death shine forth in the film “I Am Patrick” (CBN), a docudrama that will be screened in theatres on dates to be announced.

Director David SF Wilson’s passable Valiant Comics adaptation Bloodshot (Columbia) mostly avoids gore. But its protagonist’s drive for revenge, which is front and centre in Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer’s script, is only partially made less problematic by twisty plot developments.

Emma (Focus) is a delightful screen version of Jane Austen’s classic novel, lovely to look at and abounding in gentle humour.

Alexandra Masangkay portrays Miharu in the Spanish thriller “The Platform”. Photo: Basque Films. Barbaric thriller The Platform (Basque Films) – originally titled El Hoyo – is currently trending on Netflix, and for good reason. With the world now suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia does not shy away from depicting the sheer greed and savagery ...

Based on the true life events of Christian country megastar Jeremy Camp, “I Still Believe” stars KJ Apa and Britt Robertson. In Australian cinemas from 12 March. Photo: Lionsgate. By Amanda Murthy and John Mulderig In keeping with the song and book from which it takes its title, nondenominational affirmations of faith permeate the fact-based romantic drama I Still Believe, making the fil...

Not that the intended core audience of children is likely to notice, but many of the adults who take them will find that there’s something oddly mechanical and even maladroit about Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount).

The South Korean feature Parasite (Neon) is a bit of a roller-coaster ride. The film begins as a sly comedy, then takes a surprising turn that leads on to a bloody, operatic climax laden with grim social commentary about class conflict.

Margot Robbie stars in a scene from the movie "Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey". Photo: Warner Bros/CNS. By John Mulderig The DC Comics adaptation Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (Warner Bros) is presumably intended as a tart treat. Instead, it comes across as a sour exercise in random mayhem. Margot Robbie plays Quinn, the psychiatrist who fell for Batman's nemesis, the Joker, while treating...

Scarlett Johansson, Azhy Robertson and Adam Driver star in a scene from the movie "Marriage Story". Photo: Netflix/CNS. By John Mulderig At first blush, the title of the drama Marriage Story (Netflix) may strike some as ironic. This is, after all, at least on the surface, an engrossing study of the divorce process in contemporary America. Yet thoughtful viewers, especially those guide...