UK FILM TOP 10

1. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (12A)

Written by JK Rowling, David Yates’s frequently thrilling sequel continues to expand and enrich mythologies beyond the wonder years of the Harry Potter alumni. Eddie Redmayne endears us even more to his socially awkward loner brandishing a wand.

2. The Grinch (U)

A good heart - even one two sizes too small - isn’t hard to find in the charming retelling of Dr Seuss’s seasonal fable. The Grinch is an early Christmas present crammed with cute critters, slapstick and bountiful community spirit.

3. Bohemian Rhapsody (12A)

Who wants to live forever? Freddie Mercury does in Bryan Singer’s musical biopic, a greatest hits tribute blessed with a heartbreaking performance from Rami Malek as the charismatic frontman, which includes Queen’s epic set at Live Aid.

4. Robin Hood (12A)

Director Otto Bathurst’s gung-ho action adventure has action set pieces reminiscent of the Assassin’s Creed video games, employing slow-motion to excess as leading man Taron Egerton performs leaps and somersaults while firing arrows.

5. Nativity Rocks! (U)

This new offering is the fourth visit to the nativity franchise. Musical theatre star Simon Lipkin fizzes with energy as man-child teaching assistant Mr Poppy, even when the film around him stagnates, while Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood would be hard pushed to describe his pantomime villain as fab- u-lous. The climactic performance to justify Coventry’s claim as Christmas Town Of The Year is all sweetly shambolic.

6. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (15)

Almost a decade after Noomi Rapace originated the role of emotionally damaged hacker Lisbeth Salander, Stockport-born actress Claire Foy becomes the third actress to wage war on abusive men as Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s avenging angel.

7. A Star Is Born (15)

This is the third remake of the rags-to-riches fairytale. It stars Lady Gaga - undeniably luminous as a naive ingenue rocketing to fame - with Bradley Cooper as her grizzled mentor and lover. Both are serious Oscar contenders.

8. The Nutcracker And The Four Realms

ETA Hoffmann’s short story is a re-telling about a young girl gifted a locked egg who sets out in a magical land to retrieve the key, starring Keira Knightley and Morgan Freeman.

9. Widows (15)

Desperate times demand resourceful women in Widows, a glossy heist thriller based on the 1980s TV series created by Lynda Laplante. Two breathlessly staged robberies, which quicken the pulse, bookend the picture but it’s a slow burn.

10. Nobody’s Fool (15)

Fools rush in to watch writerdirector Tyler Perry’s crass comedy about a high-flying advertising executive (Tika Sumpter), who can market any product and has bought into the idea of a perfect guy to sweep her off her feet. Chartsuppliedbycineworld