Sometimes, it is best to see a film with very little knowledge about the film and absolutely no expectations. Fortunately, A Ghost Story (★★★★) which is directed by David Lowry doesn’t have much hype surrounding it.

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Starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, it is an ambitious exploration of loss and the legacy we leave behind when we depart our lives. As a married couple, they are preparing to move from their rather spooky house when Affleck’s character dies. He comes back as a sheet-covered spirit to comfort his wife and loses track of time as the eons pass.

This slow and meditative film has divided audiences. Filmed in a solitary location with very little dialogue, the surreal narrative deals with all the big questions – life after death, memories and existential footprints. It is best not to say too much about this film other than it is full of unexpected touches of humour and insights that will linger long after you’ve left the cinema. Go with the flow and enjoy this masterpiece.

Writer/ director Edgar Wright worked on the script for Baby Driver (★★★★) for twenty years after hearing a piece of music and thinking it would be a great soundtrack for a car chase. It’s this music that accompanies a young getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) as he flees a bank robbery with the three robbers in the opening scene. This is a heist movie with a difference because it is the music that sets the pace as Baby changes soundtracks to fit his mood. The 35 music tracks feature more than the dialogue.

After stealing the wrong car, Baby is blackmailed to working for criminal mastermind of Atlanta Doc (Kevin Spacey). He is teamed with bad-ass baddies who don’t last long if they’re not up to standard and his latest team consists of a menacing trio – Bats (Jamie Foxx), Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza Gonzalez).

Amid the drama, there is a lot of comedy and a touch of romance when Baby takes a shine to waitress Deborah (Lily James). Baby needs to drive off into the sunset with his love but he needs to score a perfect 10 as he drives to the final song.

Spiderman: Homecoming (★★★★), directed by Jon Watts, goes back to the Peter Parker’s early days as a superhero with training wheels. Fifteen year old Parker (Tom Holland) isn’t concentrating on his high school studies and wants to rebel against the restrictions imposed by his father figure and mentor Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr). This hero-in-training makes many mistakes, but his enthusiasm is boundless. With the help of his geeky best friend Ned (Jacob Batalan) he tests his limits and takes on the baddies.

It’s a brutal learning curve, but still full of wry humour. Adrian Toomes aka Vulture (Michael Keaton) is a formidable foe but young Spidey Parker is learning that things are not always as straightforward as they seem. As well as being full of excitement and fantastic special effects, I think it is this complexity that defies the traditional good versus bad scenario that makes the film so interesting.

Lezly Herbert