Critics Consensus: It's far from comfortable viewing, but 12 Years a Slave's unflinchingly brutal look at American slavery is also brilliant -- and quite possibly essential -- cinema.

Synopsis: In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano

Directed By: Steve McQueen

Critics Consensus: Exciting, entertaining, and emotionally impactful, Avengers: Endgame does whatever it takes to deliver a satisfying finale to Marvel's epic Infinity Saga.

Synopsis: Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth

Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a stellar ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog reaffirms writer-director Jane Campion as one of her generation's finest filmmakers.

Synopsis: Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil's romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Directed By: Jane Campion

Critics Consensus: A bigger, bolder Spider-Man sequel, No Way Home expands the franchise's scope and stakes without losing sight of its humor and heart.

Synopsis: For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero's identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon

Directed By: Jon Watts

Critics Consensus: With an outstanding starring performance from Benedict Cumberbatch illuminating its fact-based story, The Imitation Game serves as an eminently well-made entry in the "prestige biopic" genre.

Synopsis: In 1939, newly created British intelligence agency MI6 recruits Cambridge mathematics alumnus Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to crack Nazi codes, including Enigma -- which cryptanalysts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear

Directed By: Morten Tyldum

Critics Consensus: Starter For 10 is a spirited coming-of-age tale that remains charming and witty even as it veers into darker teritory. The unique setting of a quiz show makes the film wittier than your average romantic comedy.

Synopsis: Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working-class youth from Essex, gets a chance to prove himself when he is accepted to respected Bristol University. As Brian... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James McAvoy, Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall, Simon Woods

Directed By: Tom Vaughan

Critics Consensus: Doctor Strange artfully balances its outré source material against the blockbuster constraints of the MCU, delivering a thoroughly entertaining superhero origin story in the bargain.

Synopsis: Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life changes after a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong

Directed By: Scott Derrickson

Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy.

Synopsis: During World War I, two British soldiers -- Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake -- receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott

Directed By: Sam Mendes

Critics Consensus: Avengers: Infinity War ably juggles a dizzying array of MCU heroes in the fight against their gravest threat yet, and the result is a thrilling, emotionally resonant blockbuster that (mostly) realizes its gargantuan ambitions.

Synopsis: Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman

Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Critics Consensus: The Courier delivers a rousingly effective old-school spy adventure elevated by a thrilling fact-based story and Benedict Cumberbatch's nervy central performance.

Synopsis: THE COURIER is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into one of the greatest international... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Vladimir Chuprikov, James Schofield

Directed By: Dominic Cooke

Critics Consensus: Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor.

Synopsis: The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a dense puzzle of anxiety, paranoia, and espionage that director Tomas Alfredson pieces together with utmost skill.

Synopsis: In the 1970s England the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), dispatches an agent (Mark Strong) to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gary Oldman, Kathy Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

Critics Consensus: Atonement features strong performances, brilliant cinematography, and a unique score. Featuring deft performances from James MacAvoy and Keira Knightley, it's a successful adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel.

Synopsis: This sweeping English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis and Robbie Turner. When the couple... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan

Directed By: Joe Wright

Critics Consensus: Its premise suggests brazenly tasteless humor, but Four Lions is actually a smart, pitch-black comedy that carries the unmistakable ring of truth.

Synopsis: A group of young Muslim men living in Sheffield decide to wage jihad, and they hatch an inept plan to become suicide bombers. Omar (Riz... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak

Directed By: Christopher Morris

Critics Consensus: The Child in Time skillfully resists melodrama, trusting the finer details of its story -- and the actors bringing them to life -- to land with a slow-building, devastating impact.

Synopsis: Stephen Lewis, a successful author of children's books, is confronted with the unthinkable when his only child disappears in a supermarket. Stephen and his wife,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Campbell Moore, Saskia Reeves

Directed By: Julian Farino

Critics Consensus: Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg's customary flair.

Synopsis: Albert and his beloved horse, Joey, live on a farm in the British countryside. At the outbreak of World War I, Albert and Joey are... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: The Mauritanian takes a frustratingly generic approach to a real-life story that might have been inspirational in other hands, but Tahar Rahim's performance elevates the uneven material.

Synopsis: Directed by Kevin Macdonald and based on the NY Times best-selling memoir "Guantánamo Diary" by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, this is the inspiring true story of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch

Directed By: Kevin Macdonald

Critics Consensus: Rachel Weisz puts on a compelling smoldering act though the film suffers from a literal-minded approach to the material.

Synopsis: The experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a cop from Nebraska, who worked as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and exposed a U.N. sex scandal that was... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch

Directed By: Larysa Kondracki

Critics Consensus: While still slightly hamstrung by "middle chapter" narrative problems and its formidable length, The Desolation of Smaug represents a more confident, exciting second chapter for the Hobbit series.

Synopsis: Having survived the first part of their unsettling journey, Bilbo Baggins and his companions continue east. More dangers await them, including the skin-changer Beorn and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Critics Consensus: Black Mass spins a gripping yarn out of its fact-based story -- and leaves audiences with one of Johnny Depp's most compelling performances in years.

Synopsis: While his brother Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch) remains a powerful leader in the Massachusetts Senate, Irish hoodlum James "Whitey" Bulger (Johnny Depp) continues to pursue a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson

Directed By: Scott Cooper

Critics Consensus: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness labors under the weight of the sprawling MCU, but Sam Raimi's distinctive direction casts an entertaining spell.

Synopsis: In Marvel Studios' "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Critics Consensus: Penguins of Madagascar is fast and brightly colored enough to entertain small children, but too frantically silly to offer real filmgoing fun for the whole family.

Synopsis: Plucky penguins Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Rico (Conrad Vernon) and Private (Christopher Knights) -- the most elite spies ever hatched -- join forces... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Tom McGrath, Chris Miller

Directed By: Eric Darnell, Simon J. Smith

Critics Consensus: Sparked by a pair of well-matched leads, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain honors its real-life subject by adding a dash of whimsy to the standard biopic formula.

Synopsis: The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sophia Di Martino, Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough

Directed By: Will Sharpe

Critics Consensus: The sheer amount of acting going on in August: Osage County threatens to overwhelm, but when the actors involved are as talented as Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, it's difficult to complain.

Synopsis: The death and funeral of their father brings three sisters to the home of their mother, Violet (Meryl Streep), an acid-tongued, pill-popping cancer patient. Daughters... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper

Directed By: John Wells

Critics Consensus: Amazing Grace is your quintessential historical biopic: stately, noble, and with plenty of electrifying performances.

Synopsis: In 18th-century England, House of Commons member William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) and his close friend and a future prime minister, William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch), begin... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Romola Garai, Benedict Cumberbatch, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon

Directed By: Michael Apted

Critics Consensus: If it lacks the powerful voltage that its impressive cast suggests, The Current War: Director's Cut represents a significant improvement over previous versions.

Synopsis: Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse -- the greatest inventors of the industrial age -- engage in a battle of technology and ideas that will determine... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Katherine Waterston

Directed By: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Critics Consensus: Though somewhat overwhelmed by its own spectacle, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ends Peter Jackson's second Middle-earth trilogy on a reasonably satisfying note.

Synopsis: Having reclaimed Erebor and vast treasure from the dragon Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield sacrifices friendship and honor in seeking the Arkenstone, despite Smaug's fiery wrath and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Critics Consensus: The Grinch gives the classic Seuss source material a brightly animated update that's solidly suitable for younger viewers without adding substantially to the story's legacy.

Synopsis: The Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams

Directed By: Scott Mosier, Yarrow Cheney

Critics Consensus: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle brings impressive special effects to bear on the darker side of its classic source material, but loses track of the story's heart along the way.

Synopsis: Human child Mowgli is raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Rohan Chand, Benedict Cumberbatch

Directed By: Andy Serkis

Critics Consensus: This Charles Darwin biopic is curiously dispassionate, but Creation contains some of director Jon Amiel's best work, and Paul Bettany's performance is not to be missed.

Synopsis: Devastated by the death of his beloved daughter, Annie, Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany) sinks into a deep depression, and cannot bring himself to finish his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones

Directed By: Jon Amiel

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: James (Benedict Cumberbatch), a dying young man, and his friends travel to the coast of Barafundle Bay in western Wales.

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Tom Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch, JJ Feild

Directed By: Hattie Dalton

Critics Consensus: Though it features some extravagant and entertaining moments, The Other Boleyn Girl feels more like a soap opera than historical drama.

Synopsis: King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) lacks an heir. Seeing this as an opportunity for personal gain, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) and Sir Thomas... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas

Directed By: Justin Chadwick

Critics Consensus: Heavy on detail and melodrama but missing the spark from its remarkable real-life inspiration, The Fifth Estate mostly serves as a middling showcase for Benedict Cumberbatch's remarkable talent.

Synopsis: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and a colleague, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, join forces to become watchdogs over actions of the privileged and powerful. Despite scant resources, they... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Dan Stevens, Alicia Vikander

Directed By: Bill Condon