FOUR very different films premiere on Aussie screens this week as we trudge through the mid-summer releases.

Conclave is the return of the genuine, grown-up suspense-thriller that does not involve a serial killer.

Ralph Fiennes stars as a Cardinal of the Catholic Church who is tasked with convening a papal conclave to elect a new Pope, following the unexpected and suspicious death of the last one.

Political factions form, secrets are uncovered, tensions rise and everyone’s assumptions are challenged as the conclave engage in their mysterious rituals and processes.

A bombastic European pot-boiler from German director Edward Berger, this is the kind of film that doesn’t get made very often these days, and it’s a treat to be able to see it at the cinema.

Another surprising cinema release is Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, a sequel to the 2018 film that no one in Australia saw.

Possibly the reigning champion of B-grade action movies designed to live on streaming, Gerard Butler returns as a Sheriff chasing a criminal mastermind planning an elaborate diamond heist.

This is essentially Heat with ADHD, eschewing depth of character and engaging storytelling for more elaborate and visceral action sequences.

Writer/Director Christian Gudegast returns to the helm, so it’s clear that this kind of film is a passion of his.

Still, you can save yourself the coin and wait for it to turn up on Netflix in a few weeks.

An entry into the “boys of Summer face a monster in their backyard” genre, Monster Summer hopes to find a place in young people’s hearts just like The Monster Squad did 40 years ago.

Just like that film, it’s probable that only a very few will really latch on to this story, but it is well-made and has its share of charm.

Mason Thames (The Black Phone) is the young star at the heart of this tale of a group of young friends investigating mysterious evil, who recruit a retired and curmudgeonly police detective, played by Mel Gibson, to help.

It’s odd to be seeing films playing for the nostalgia of years gone by that is set in the year 1997, but that’s more about my own age than any issues with the film.

Finally, for those super-keen on an overseas offering this week, Octopus with Broken Arms comes from Chinese filmmaker Jacky Gan.

An intense and fraught drama-thriller, the story focuses on a businessman whose daughter is taken by human traffickers and his descent into rage and violence in his efforts to recover her.

Possibly not a great “date night” film.

By Lindsay HALL