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.

Peterloo

What we know

Mike Leigh directs the story of the Peterloo massacre, bringing us back to 1819 in Manchester, England, when cavalry killed hundreds at a demonstration.

What the critics say

• “Leigh creates a huge, crowded canvas, dourly dark in the opening scenes, and then vividly colourful for the spectacular and brutal climactic crowd sequences.” – The Guardian
• “The picture also suffers from some broadly drawn distinctions between the gallant powerless and the dastardly elite. Casting Tim McInnerny as the fat, useless Prince Regent only serves to emphasise the tonal similarities between his scenes and comic idiocy in Blackadder II.” – The Irish Times

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 6.6/10
• IMDB: 6.1/10

Juliet, Naked

What we know

Annie (Rose Byrne) and Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) are in what can only be described as an annoying relationship – especially given Duncan’s obsession with ageing rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). But when Annie strikes up a friendship with the elusive rocker, things start to go awry. Based on the Nick HOrnby novel.

What the critics say

• “There is something tiresome and incurious about the film’s romanticism, which rests on the canard that girls aren’t really into music.” – New York Times
• “Byrne is tremendous as the bored woman who connects with Ethan Hawke’s forgotten indie rocker, but is marooned in a poorly conceived film.” – The Guardian

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 6.8/10
• IMDB: 6.910

The Nutcracker And The Four Realms

What we know

This Disney film sees a young girl (Mackenzie Foy) find the key to a mysterious world… the world of the four realms. There, she meets characters played by heavyweights like Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman.

What the critics say

• “The one spark of life in the film comes from Keira Knightley, who brings a welcome daffiness to the character of Sugar Plum, ruler of one of the “four realms” of the title.” – AV Club
• “True to the Disney playbook, it’s inevitable that Clara will learn the requisite lessons about keeping her mother’s spirit alive, being sensitive to her father’s loss, believing in magic as much as science, and trusting her own intelligent instincts in sticky situations.” – Hollywood Reporter

What’s it rated?

• RottenTomatoes: 4.8/10
• IMDB: 5.4/10

Which one would you go see first?