It’s the fourth month of the year and the beginning of Spring. The clocks have gone back, and the days are longer. The bursts of rainfall are getting less and less frequent (touch-wood) and hope is in the air. But even if you’re not as optimistic about the seasonal change as I am, you know what we always have?
That’s right, cinema! I’ve pulled together my top picks for April, and we’ve got a bit of everything; action, thrills, laughs and more. So have a look and get some dates in the diary-I’ve seen a couple already, and I promise you won’t regret it.
5th April – Monkey Man
The start of the month sees the directorial debut of Slumdog Millionaire’s Dev Patel, with the former Skins man starring as the lead also. Produced by Jordan Peele, the film is set in India, and follows an anonymous man who aims to seek revenge against the corrupt leaders involved in the murder of his mother. It’s a stellar debut from Patel, with a pacey storyline, beautiful cinematography and an almost entirely Asian cast that is refreshing in Hollywood. The film keeps you on your toes from the jump, and covers themes like Indian socio-politics, power and grief, alongside the action and thriller filled storyline. A must-see to start off your April.
12th April – Civil War
Keeping with the “slightly dystopian but eerily similar to our current lives” theme, Alex Garland’s Civil War follows a team of journalists in America as they attempt to survive and document a time where the government has become an extremist dictatorship. The film is said to be a look, not at how a country encourages self-destruction, but what happens to the country when it does. Having premiered at SXSW last month, it received positive reviews from critics, with a performance by veteran actor Stephen McKinley Henderson (from Fences, Manchester by The Sea, Dune) heralded as “phenomenal”.
19th April – Book of Clarence
The eagle-eyed amongst you will spot that this film featured in my January roundup, but there was a last minute decision to shift the UK release date back to April. The film follows a down-on-his-luck man living in A.D. 33 Jerusalem, who hatches a plan to capitalise on the rising popularity of Jesus Christ. The film has a stacked cast, with LaKeith Stanfield as the lead,
alongside Omar Sy, Anna Diop, Michael Ward, Teyana Taylor, James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch – to name a few. Having had its premiere last year, I’ll be honest – the reviews have been mixed. But I think that the cast has enough talent to hold their own, and that’s enough to see what the film is saying in cinema this month.
26th April – Challengers
The end of April sees the release of the much-anticipated Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, a filmmaker who is renowned for creating films that centre complex sensuality and prioritise stunning visuals. If both the steamy trailer, and his previous outings (Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All) are anything to go by, Challengers will fit right into Guadagnino’s
filmography. The film stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist as the leads, and follows Tashi, a former tennis prodigy-turned-coach, navigating her current marriage to a tennis champion, and his rivalry with her former boyfriend and best-friend. According to iMDB, the film’s genres span across romantic drama, sports film and comedy, and initial reviews have been glowing, both of performance and story.
29th March on Netflix- Afàméfùnà
Netflix recently added Afàméfùnà- a feature-length film directed by Kayode Kasum, starring Stan Nze and Alex Ekubo. It is a compelling and tender exploration of the Igbo Apprenticeship system; a practice where young men are sent to live with older and much more established businessmen to learn the trade. If the early reception is anything to go by, then this film promises an acting masterclass and a high-stakes story.
That’s all I have for you this month folks, but in my humble opinion, it’s a great little mix. They’re also weekly releases, with a must-see film being released every Friday throughout April. So really, there are no excuses –find a friend, or go solo (it’s the best, trust me), and enjoy the beautiful art-form. Until May!