The Handmaiden (dir: Park Chan-wook, 2017, cert 18)
Park Chan-wook is one of the most daring filmmakers at work today, he doesn’t so much push the envelope as douse it in petrol and burn it. His name and an 18 certificate are a cast iron guarantee that your senses are going to be getting one hell of a workout. The Handmaiden is a dizzyingly extravagant thriller soaked in an uneasy and intelligent eroticism, don’t relax for a second because Park Chan-wook will trip you up. Superior contemporary filmmaking.
Mon 24 Apr to Thu 27 Apr at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £9.50 www.theelectric.co.uk
Mon 24 Apr to Thu 27 Apr at Everyman, The Mailbox, Birmingham B1 1RF £13.50 www.everymancinema.com

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (dir: Milos Forman, 1975, cert 15)
Still the greatest English language film about mental health and it has lost none of its mordant potency in the four decades since its release. Briefly uplifting but ultimately heartbreaking, the battle of wills between Jack Nicholson’s Randle McMurphy and Louise Fletcher as the terrifying Nurse Ratched plays out compellingly but there can be only one winner. A gut wrenchingly harsh conclusion from the Czech New wave director Milos Forman.
Mon 24 Apr 3.30pm at Mockingbird, The Custard Factory, Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4AA £7 ticketing.eu.veezi.com

Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (dir: Tomohiko Ito, 2017, cert 12A)
The first full length film set in the anime world of Sword Art Online in which 10,000 gamers are trapped in a virtual reality “death game” called SAO. For Kirito and Asuna the line between the virtual world and reality begin to blur with horrifying consequences. Just wait till our heroes get to floor 100. Kinetic and imaginative mayhem that will batter your senses, confusing in parts yes, but just enjoy the ride.
Mon 24 Apr 5.30pm at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £9.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

Free Fire (dir: Ben Wheatley, 2017, cert 15)
1970’s Boston is the setting for a full on kinetic bullet fest as a major arms deal goes wrong, as they always do, with violent consequences. The mayhem is complemented by some serious facial hair, polyester suits, crackling dialogue, laughs and a bristling Cillian Murphy as visiting Republican terrorist Chris. Uproariously violent fun.
Mon 24 Apr to Wed 26 Apr at Mockingbird, The Custard Factory, Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4AA £5.95 ticketing.eu.veezi.com
Fri 21 Apr to Thu 27 Apr at Lighthouse, Chubb Buildings, Wolverhampton WV1 1HT £8.15 light-house.co.uk

Raw (dir: Julia Ducournau, 2017, cert 18)
Be warned, at some screenings of this gruelling French cannibal horror ambulances have been called to attend to the audience and even sick bags handed out. Hype or not there is no denying the involuntary revulsion your stomach will experience as the red stuff begins to flow in ever more imaginative and gruesome ways. What elevates Raw from basic gorehound fare is the female gaze of director Julia Ducournau and the deep symbolism throughout as lifelong vegetarian Justine (Garance Marillier) creeps towards the excruciating world of adulthood. Potent and vicious, you may watch the entire film through your fingers. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Mon 24 Apr to Thu 27 Apr at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £9.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

I Am Not Your Negro (dir: Raoul Peck, 2016, cert 15)
The one time Haitian Minister of Culture, Raoul Peck, brings to life the unpublished writings of literary heavyweight James Baldwin. Marrying imaginative contemporary clips with Samuel L Jackson’s electric sharp reading lends a heady resonance to a voice that was a powerful symbol of black and gay rights. In a nation still riven along racial divides this is a prescient and compelling documentary.
Mon 24 Apr to Wed 26 Apr at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £9.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

Godzilla (dir: Ishiro Honda, 1954, cert 18) whisky drink-along
Not only are the Electric screening the greatest man in a rubber suit monster film ever made they are giving you the opportunity to sample the finest Japanese whisky throughout. What’s not to like? Tickets very limited now so don’t hang about. Read our full preview here.
Thu 27 Apr 7.30pm at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £25.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

Graduation (dir: Cristian Mungiu, 2016, cert 15)
The Romanian Palme d’Or winning director Cristian Mungiu is one of the most intelligent film makers at work today, his ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ is a classic of contemporary cinema. Quiet long takes, sublimely executed scripts and understated powerhouse acting are his trademark. Latest film Graduation is nuanced with a muted ugly beauty as its protagonist Dr Romeo Aldea (Adrian Titieni)  is forced to revisit the self serving choices he has made in life. A subtle masterpiece.
Fri 28 Apr 7.30pm & Sat 29 Apr 5.30pm at mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH £9 macbirmingham.co.uk

Bunch of Kunst (dir: Christine Franz, 2017, cert 18)
Sleaford Mods have become the voice of the the under represented and marginalised working classes, feeding in to an underclass zeitgeist that is either ignored or ridiculed by the mainstream media. With stripped down tunes and an acerbically astute lyricism their potent rage is an effective blend of righteous angst and literary genius. Bunch of Kunst is an excellent peek into the band’s motivations and a harsh reflection of modern British life. Sleaford Mods are also coming to the O2 Institute in October, read our preview here.
Sat 29 Apr to Wed 3 May at Mockingbird, Custard Factory,  Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4AA £9.50 ticketing.eu.veezi.com

Paths of Glory (dir: Stanley Kubrick, 1957, cert PG)
Anti-war films have a horrible prescience about them in a contemporary world where a man child tantrum could send us into nuclear oblivion. Paths of Glory is a rugged examination of war’s utter futility as French soldiers refuse to carry out a suicidal mission and are subsequently charged with cowardice and probable execution. Kirk Douglas’ dogged Colonel Dax does his best to defend his men against the implacability of the state. Classic film screened as part of the Cinematic Time Machine season.
Sat 29 Apr at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £9.50 www.theelectric.co.uk

Rara (dir: Pepa San Martín, 2016, cert tbc)
The feature length debut from Chilean director Pepa San Martin is an intricate family drama. Twelve year old Sara (Julia Lübbert) discovers that living with her mother and same sex partner poses problems for middle class Chilean society. Based on the true story of a Chilean judge who lost custody of her child due to her homosexuality, the film is a compelling study of entrenched and usually insidiously hidden attitudes.
Sun 30 Apr 2pm at mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH £9 macbirmingham.co.uk

Mad Max: Fury Road Black & Chrome Edition (dir: George Miller, 2015, cert 15)
George Miller’s hi-octane update of the classic post apocalyptic road warrior movie gets a sleek and stylish monochrome overhaul. The new noirish edge to the unrelenting carnage and mayhem lends itself to a more subdued and powerful reading of the film. The spectacular effects; in being muted, gain an extra resonance stripped of colour, the film becomes more about the protagonists and less about the jackhammer visceral imagery. An exciting premise stylishly executed.
Sun 30 Apr 8.15pm at Electric, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY £9.50 www.theelectric.co.uk
Sun 30 Apr to Tue 2 May at Mockingbird, Custard Factory,  Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4AA £9.50 ticketing.eu.veezi.com