8 films in UAE cinemas this week

Following 2014’s creepy Annabelle, The Boy represents the latest in the “possessed doll” sub-breed of the horror genre, the one that Chuckie kick-started. Set in a gothic mansion – where else? – in the English countryside, The Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan is tasked with what, at first, sounds like a perfectly simple nanny’s job – looking after an elderly couple’s small child, Brahms. Only Brahms turns out to be a porcelain doll with a penchant for moving around the house when no-one is watching. Despite the dangerously evil presence, Cohan stays in the house – apparently determined to find out what Brahms’ problem is. Are babysitting gigs really that hard to find?

When Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, it sparked the biggest human evacuation ever recorded. It’s this incredible event that takes centre stage in Airlift, with the story played out through the travails of wealthy businessman Ranjit Katyal (played by Akshay Kumar) who – following the anarchy and danger of the invasion – labours tirelessly with the Indian government  to evacuate 170,000 of his fellow countrymen back to their homes in India.

The real-life story that’s already had critics from Sundance to Sydney waxing lyrical, Kumiko details the pseudo pilgrimage of a disillusioned Japanese office worker who sets out to North Dakota. She has become convinced that there are hidden riches awaiting her, as depicted in the famous fictional movie Fargo – that she mistakenly believes is a real story. The premise may sound a little silly, but trust us, this is one oddball arthouse effort you’ll feel all the better for having watched.