PLANNING ON HEADING to the cinema this weekend?

There are a few new movies out, but which is a must-watch, and are there any you should avoid?

We take a look.

The Souvenir

What we know

Directed and written by Joanna Hogg, this is about a young woman and her relationship with an untrustworthy man in the 1980s. The woman is played by Honor Swinton Byrne and her mother by her real-life mother, Tilda Swinton.

What the critics say

• “Her visual memoir is a romance, a trauma, a family drama, a heartbreaking coming-of-age spectacle, art about the compulsion to create art – a swirling, shapeshifting, delicate but dark creature.” – Little White Lies
• “There is nothing in The Souvenir that’s obvious or banal or that represents anything other than a struggle to get something inchoate onscreen in a way no one else has. That by itself is unspeakably moving.” – Vulture

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 90%
• IMDB: 6.6/10

A Million Little Pieces

What we know

Directed by Sam Taylor Johnson, this stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a 23-year-old drug addict. The story is based on the memoir by James Frey, which was criticised for including fictional parts.

What the critics say

• “This film is shot with warmth and love, but as far as emotional entertainment goes, it’s a bit of a shrug.” – Empire
• “ In “A Million Little Pieces,” James Frey starts off as a man down an abyss, but the film is about how he climbs up and out and gets better, without much in the way of setback.” – Variety

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 38%
• IMDB: 7.3/10

The Mustang

What we know

Matthias Schoenaerts plays a prison convict who takes part in a rehabilitation programme that involves training wild mustangs. The work makes him take a look at him and his own past.

What the critics say

• “The film withholds the core of Roman’s torment until the end. But Schoenaerts silently tells you everything you need to know in his quietly devastating performance.” – Rolling Stone
• “But this film is neither “Seabiscuit” nor “The Horse Whisperer”— Clermont-Tonnerre finds her inspiration and source material in present day, in more austere and forgotten corners of the country.” – RogerEbert.com

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 94%
• IMDB: 6.9/10

Which one would you go see first?

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