Thomas wakes up in a caged elevator filled with supplies, rapidly approaching the surface, and with no idea of his own name or why he is there. Discovering himself at the centre of the maze, with many other teenagers, he must navigate the presumably man-made terrors of the labyrinth and find a way for the impromptu community to escape. But doing so requires him to challenge the authority of self-appointed leader Gally, and penetrate the deepest mysteries of the maze.

Released by the esteemed New Zealand Documentary Board, What We Do in the Shadows offers a riveting look into a secret cabal of vampires, who have retired to Wellington to enjoy the afterlife in peace. Wearing crucifixes and the sworn protection of their subjects, the core group of Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, and Petyr must come to terms with newly turned Vampire Nick, while he shows them the ropes of living and partying in the modern world. Hijinks most definitely ensue, and they are fantastic.

Filmed over twelve years, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood follows the childhood and adolescence of Mason as he develops into a young man and confronts the common growing pains of the American male. But Boyhood is also a portrait of his dutiful but lonely mother, and his absent father; as well as his sister Samantha. Documenting the milestones, birthdays, separations, births, ups, and downs of ordinary life, with Mason and his sister eventually leaving for college and embarking on their adult lives.

Rebooting the popular franchise the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back, rescued from a fire in a lab where they were pumped full of an alien mutagen. With super-healing powers and a mastery of the martial arts, they battle crime underneath New York – particularly, the Foot Clan and their mysterious leader Shredder. Forbidden from venturing above ground by Splinter, they quickly get embroiled in foiling a plot to destroy New York and enlist the help of intrepid reporter April O’Neal.

Teenage Bobo and Klara spend their time rebelling against the spirit of the 80s, and insisting that punk isn’t dead. Mostly shunned by their more popular peers, the pair meet a kindred spirit in the highly Christian and musically talented Hedvig. The three decide to form a band together, and attempt to break into the underground world of punk within the city of Stockholm. Even as their success is mixed at best, their friendship grows stronger in this touching coming-of-age drama.

Failing actor Aidan Bloom finds himself in the midst of an early midlife crisis –  with his wife struggling to support the family, his father dying of cancer, and being unable to afford the expensive Jewish school his children have been attending. Audition after audition takes its toll, as he is forced to assume more responsibilities on behalf of his father and convince him to reconcile with a brother stuck in arrested development.

Set in a utopian society at some point after a great calamity, The Giver follows young Jonas, who is selected to replace the Receiver of Memories as the sole custodian of humanity’s history. But all is not well; and as Jonas slowly awakes to the ideas, emotions, and freedoms that the ruling council would keep suppressed, he embarks on a course of rebellion which may threaten their entire society.

After his retrenchment in an economic downturn, Will finds a job as a website manager and spends his time working out of a local coffee shop. Finally finding office Nirvana, he spends his time drinking lattes and shooting the breeze with blasé cop Gino and social incompetent Chad, while lusting after regular customer Becca. When news arrives that their quiet haven is to be converted into a trendy bistro, the friends come up with a plan to rob the place and scuttle corporate headquarters’ plans.

This pseudo-documentary follows Nick Cave on what is ostensibly his 20,000 day on Earth. During the course of the day he makes a visit to his archives (yes, he has his own set of Nick Cave archives for the purposes of this film), records a track for a new album, writes, meets to have lunch with Warren Ellis, and a variety of other activities. In between Cave drives and has possibly imaginary conversations with famous individuals he has known throughout his career.

Dutiful, dull Ivan Locke leaves a construction site with the intention of driving straight to London within two hours. His reasons for this are initially opaque, as he handles a series of crises at home, in a hospital, and back at the site through no medium other than his mobile phone. What emerges is a picture of a man in conflict with his dead father, the life he has carefully built for himself, and a single mistake which may tear it all apart.

Friends and perpetual losers Will, Neil, and Simon reunite to journey to Australia and experience the party and pussy filled life Jay claims he is living there. Jay, of course, is lying and is more set on discovering what is ex-girlfriend is up to. The four boys attempt to make the most of their impromptu holiday, with Will forcing them to follow the young and vivacious Katie to Byron Bay. What ensues is, naturally, humiliation for our four heroes and hilarity for the rest, on a grand scatological scale.

Driving home drunk from a police function, Detective Malcolm Toohey knocks a child off his bike and causes serious injury. Covering up his role in the affair, Malcolm is aided by veteran police investigator Carl Summer, because he is ‘one of us.’ But fellow detective Jim Melic is uncomfortable, and Malcolm’s guilt begins to consume him as he gets to know the family of the victim and is hailed by the media as a hero. When their story begins to unravel, Jim and Malcolm have second thoughts – leading to an inevitable confrontation with Carl.

Predestination follows the work of a temporal agent, moving back and forth in time to stop numerous crimes including the work of the ‘Fizzle’ bomber. Centred around an event in New York on March 1975, the agent returns again and again within the strict parameters of his mission to attempt to stop the bombing from ever happening. Essential to this mission is John, who the agent must recruit or make use of in a way John as yet has no conception.

About to celebrate his 100th birthday in the retirement village he calls home, Allan Karlsson decides to blow it all and escapes, very slowly, out the window – in the process accidentally stealing 100 million kronor in a suitcase, sparking off a police investigation, and earning the ire of a crime boss who wants him dead. Things get stranger from there, as Allan entangles several more hapless souls in his impromptu flight. But Allan is used to this – as he recounts a colourful history of living a century, meeting every historical figure imaginable and always putting his foot in it.

After the attempted suicide of Alex, his close friends come together in the countryside to support him, catch up, and take stock of their lives so far. But old issues take little time to bubble to the surface; lawyer Sarah deals with old feelings for finance executive Isaac, Ben and Siri must redefine the terms of their relationship, asshole Josh alienates every fucking person onscreen and watching; and Alex must come to terms with the issues that made him want to take his own life in the first place.

Driven from their successful restaurant and home in India, the Kadam family find themselves stranded in a small town in France. Setting up shop across from a Michelin starred French restaurant, they proceed to disrupt the cultural prejudices of the locals with great success. But son Hassan wants more, and embarks on a quest to conquer French cuisine with the help of former rival restaurateur Madame Mallory.

Loosely based on the trial of the West Memphis Three in 1994, Devil's Knot recounts the murder of three young boys and the subsequent investigation and trial of Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr., and Jason Baldwin. Issues with key testimony,  evidence, and the police investigation abound – prompting private investigator Ron Lax to offer his services. Caught in a media firestorm and community hysteria about satanic cults, Lax must battle against all in his search for the truth.

Professional misanthrope Oren is in the process of closing up his life and moving to Vermont or New Hampshire or somewhere (who cares, we all know he isn’t going to get there), when his estranged son arrives and leaves Oren with a granddaughter to care for while he is in prison for nine months. Oren enlists the reluctant help of neighbour Leah, who opens her life both to the child and to crotchety Oren.

Master magician and debunker Stanley Crawford is summoned by a colleague to investigate a possible psychic or possible imposter, who has installed herself in the south of France with a rich American family. With the heir to the fortune madly in love with the possible swindler, Stanley sets out to expose her cheap tricks, but is unable – leading him to question his own attitude to the world, embrace a new sense of wonder, and possibly fall in love with the charlatan herself.

A chance invitation to perform brings talented but unrecognised musician Gretta to the notice of disgraced music executive Dan. Both are recovering from the dissolution of their relationships, in Gretta’s case to pop sensation Dave Kohl, and embark upon a fruitful but low key musical collaboration. Producing and recording songs all over New York City, they slowly rekindle the passion for music that each had thought they lost, with the help of a few friends.