1 Doctor Strange (12A)

(Scott Derrickson, 2016, US) 115 mins.

Possibly the most psychedelic superhero movie ever made, this blows the bloody doors of perception off, so to speak, as Benedict Cumberbatch’s playboy surgeon receives lessons in eastern philosophy and space-time origami, courtesy of Tilda Swinton’s secret clan. The effects team have really gone to town, but it’s in the service of a smarter, deeper kind of origin story.

2 I, Daniel Blake (15)

(Ken Loach, 2016, UK/Fra/Bel) 100 mins.

A big “happy now?” to Tory voters, Loach’s latest is a calm, clear, painfully credible study of life on the receiving end of austerity. Blake is a geordie carpenter, laid off after a heart attack and confounded by the Kafkaesque benefits system – but even more desperate is the single mum he befriends. The lack of sentimentality or sermonising only makes it more powerful.

3 American Honey (15)

(Andrea Arnold, 2016, UK/US) 164 mins.

Like its young subjects, Arnold’s American road trip heads off on its own romantic, apparently aimless journey, beguiled by the landscape and the lives of a group of hedonistic magazine-sellers. The natural performances and Robbie Ryan’s sensuous cinematography keep it captivatingly unpredictable.

4 Lo And Behold, Reveries Of The Connected World (12A)

(Werner Herzog, 2016, US) 96 mins.

Herzog untangles the cables of the information age, talking to pioneers, prophets, professionals and victims, skimming over innumerable fascinating and thought-provoking topics in his quest to divine the impact of the internet on humanity.

5 Train To Busan (15) 

 (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016, S Kor) 118 mins.

This Korean zombies-on-a-train thriller is the express service in terms of pacing, accelerating swiftly to a claustrophobic, apocalyptic scenario. A selfish dad and his young daughter provide a moral centre and some class commentary.