1 The Fits (12A)
(Anna Rose Holmer, 2015, US) 72 mins
Moonlight is stealing all the limelight, but here’s another movie dealing with African-American coming of age in beguilingly lyrical fashion. Our hero is an introverted, pre-teen tomboy (Royalty Hightower) who’s drawn from the boxing gym to the dance studio, where the girls are struck by mysterious convulsions. Dreamily abstract at times, it’s short on dialogue but says plenty.
2 Moonlight (15)
(Barry Jenkins, 2016, US) 111 mins
Defying the labels and avoiding the cliches, Jenkins’s bold study of African-American masculinity is too beautifully made to pigeonhole as “gay” or “black” cinema. It’s closer to the lush, sensual works of Wong Kar-wai or Todd Haynes, as it tracks a troubled Florida kid through three crucial stages of his development (with three different actors).
3 Hidden Figures (PG)
(Theodore Melfi, 2016, US) 127 mins
An important but little-known chapter of civil rights history: the female, African-American mathematicians who played their part in the US space programme. The telling is buoyant and broad, with Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe crunching the numbers and breaking the (final?) frontiers.
4 The Lego Batman Movie (U)
(Chris McKay, 2016, US/Den) 104 mins
The Dark Knight is deconstructed and rebuilt in bright Lego-brick animation, resulting in a comedy adventure that’s dripping with irreverent satire but works remarkably well – perhaps even better – as a superhero story. Will Arnett leads a rich voice cast.
5 Patriots Day (15)
(Peter Berg, 2016, US) 130 mins
Mixing Paul Greengrass-style vérité, personal history and police procedural, this docudrama on the Boston marathon bombings is more gripping than you’d expect, especially if you only know the cursory details. Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon and JK Simmons all figure in a story that keeps the tension high but honours the real-life victims – and the city itself.
