Deepwater Horizon, Queen of Katwe and more

With the silliness of summer cinema behind us, there's a new bounty of blockbusters arriving thisfall.

From a feel-good movie about an African chess prodigy, to the real-life tales of riggers from the2010 BP oil disaster, here's a rundown of which movies are worth a night out and which are better to streamfrom the comfort of your couch.

Queen of Katwe

Who's it for? Anyone who loves a good chess story or wants to see an inspiring tale with surprising grit.

What is it?Based on a true story, this Disney film centres onPhiona Mutesi, a young girl living in the Katweshantytown inKampala, Uganda, who discovers a talent for dominating her opponents on the chessboard.

There is a familiarity to Queen of Katwesay thosechessboard clichs, orthe arc as Phiona's progress improves.But in the hands of directorMira Nair,Queen of Katwe transcends the tropes.Nair hascalled Uganda home for almost 30 years and shows us a real slice of the country,polished but not sanitized.

First-time actor Madina Nalwangais the movie'sanchor:shy butdefiant, she makes the perfect heroine.

See it, stream it or skip it?See it for Lupita Nyong'o heart-wrenching performance as a mother afraid to let her daughter dream, and forDavid Oyelowo, who playsa chess coach with endless charisma.

DeepwaterHorizon

Who's it for?Fans of San Andreas who want an element of corporate malfeasance in their blockbusters.

What is it?Deepwater Horizon is areal-life dramatization of the events leading up what became the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Director Peter Bergbalances verisimilitude and action,boiling the drama down to blue-collar engineers versus BP employees more interested in a stamp of approval than the safety of the rig.Like The Big Short or Casino, Deepwater'sgreatest strength is asense of place. Berg takes us to this small village of workers balancedon a towerof steel, with ageyser of oil bubblingbelow.

Amidst high seas of foreshadowing and corporate villainy, Mark Wahlberg doesn't have to flex his acting muscles to playheroicengineer Mike Williams.Fortunately, there are performances by Kurt Russell andJohn Malkovich to savour instead.

See it, stream itorskip it?See it on the big screen to fully appreciate Berg's shake, rattle and roll approach.

Operation Avalanche

Who's it for?Conspiracy theory fans and cinephileswho love a good hoax.

What is it?The Dirties director and actor Matt Johnson is at it again, this time with a mockumentaryabout how a small group of CIA film geeksfaked theApollo11 mission.Using real,unwitting NASA employeesand still photos,he creates an entirely convincing scheme. A film about makinga film, Operation Avalancheis also a love letter to celluloid filled with film scratches, projectors and shots of the all-important Steenbeckediting table.

Working with a semi-improvisedscript, Johnson and his compatriotskeep the action loose and lively. As the lead, Johnsonhas a natural giddiness that suits his character. But once the novelty of the aestheticfades,Operation Avalanche sputters. Part conspiracy, part comedy, the film never quite earns the drama Johnsonreaches for.

See it, stream itorskip it?Stream it for Johnson's mastery of technique and the wild ambition of this up-and-coming Canadian director.

Imperium

Who's it for?Devotes of Daniel Radcliffe's intensity oran interestin the so-called "alt-right."

What is it?Imperium is a thriller about homegrown extremists, as the FBIattempts to expose a neo-Naziplot to construct a dirty bomb.

Radcliffe stars as Nate, a genius loner at theFederal Bureau of Investigation.Although his colleagues pick on him, Nate improbablyfinds the strength to stare downskinheads with the help of his superior, played by Toni Collette, who seems to have defined her entire character around a gum-chewing habit.

DirectorDaniel Ragussisdrenches the atmosphere with ominous music and tension, but the disjointed plot doesn't lead to a satisfying payoff.What redeems Imperium is Radcliffe, his eyes wide as his character delves deeper into the hate-filled subculture.

See itorskip it? Stream it. Radcliffe's tightly bound performance is worthy, but the humdrum action doesn't justify a night out.