Michael Shannon shines in Jeff Nichols’ psychological drama as a man haunted by visions of the world ending. The middle section of the film is somewhat repetitive, but the last half hour will leave you teetering on the edge of your seat. Imaginative, scary, thrilling and beautiful all in one go, Take Shelter is an astonishing film that will stay with you. And probably for much longer than you’ll be comfortable with.

A sombre, quietly funny and frustratingly unhurried little homage to traditional movie-going as well as a warning to those who dedicate their lives to it, the lethargic A Useful Life is just about self-aware enough to keep you interested. Also – and this is the key thing – it’s quite short.

This film from Billy Clift exploring the issue of gay marriage loosely resembles The 40 Year Old Virgin. But where the latter succeeded in being funny, romantic AND true to life, I Want to Get Married is so confused, awkwardly directed and – at times – really quite hard to follow, that the story at its heart gets lost. Also, the main guy’s face. What is that about.

A bunch of people have drama that sometimes relates to other drama other people are having in this feature-length soap opera about celebrity, the media and… drama. But on the plus side, some people shoot and stab each other at the end.

You know who loves the Russian Mafia? Well, nobody, really: they’ve done horrible things for and to Russia and killed a LOT of people. They are, however, extremely interesting. So grab yourself some popcorn and vodka, as Alexander Gentelev sits down with three proper old-school Russian mafiosi.

This is, without doubt, the gnarliest film that has ever been put together. Follow the story of Larry Linkogle, one of the founders of freestyle motocross, as he achieves legendary status and battles his inner demons, all the the melodic mumble of Motorhead frontman Lemmy’s absolutely amazing narration.

This well-acted and occasionally surprising drama from Rodrigo García explores the impact of adoption upon the lives of three women. Its first half is strong but the second hour becomes predictable, conventional and a little too sugary. And really, the whole affair would be better off without Kerry Washington (sorry Kerry but it’s true).

After being lied to by a horoscope and having the stereotypical birthday from Hell, a young man sets out to prove that astrology is a bunch of bullshit. Tracking down the three people born closest to him in terms of time and location, he finds out he got more than he bargained for and learns some valuable life lessons. Hooray!

Her name alone conjures up an image for all of us; whether it’s the sexy woman in the billowing white skirts, the girl who famously slept in nothing but Chanel No. 5 or the actress who died in mysterious circumstances, we all feel as if we know Marilyn Monroe. This biopic elegantly cuts through our preconceptions about Hollywood’s brightest star, offering an uncommonly intimate account of just seven days in her life…

There are some people in this world who really love puppies; little girls, mostly, or pre-teens, or middle-aged folks with not a lot else to fill their days. This film is their Holy Grail. It’s as if the Cutest Puppies Of 2011 calendar they have hanging in their bedroom has come to life on screen and, not unexpectedly, it’s annoyingly adorable…