April, the calm before the blockbuster storm of summer, is here and with it comes a handful of notable titles to seek out. Along with restorations of Rebels of the Neon God (April 10th) Roar (April 17th) and Forbidden Games (April 24th), there’s a few festival titles we’ve been waiting for over a year (and up to six years, in one case). We also have the seventh entry in a franchise, the final film from a master, and more. Check out everything below and let us know what’s on your radar in the comments.
Matinees to See: Cheatin’ (4/3), Lambert & Stamp (4/3), The Living (4/3), The Sisterhood of Night (4/10), Alex of Venice (4/17), Beyond the Reach (4/17), The Dead Lands (4/17), Felix and Meira (4/17), Child 44 (4/17) Adult Beginners (4/24), The Age of Adaline (4/24), Misery Loves Comedy (4/24), and Tangerines (4/27)
10. Lost River (Ryan Gosling; April 10th)
Synopsis: A single mother is swept into a dark underworld, while her teenage son discovers a road that leads him to a secret underwater town.
Why You Should See It: Curiosity may get the best of us if we go by our review of this one out of Cannes, but with Ryan Gosling having worked with Terrence Malick, Nicolas Winding Refn, Derek Cianfrance, and more, we’re intrigued at what his debut may hold. Featuring Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, and more, it’ll hit VOD the same day it arrives in theaters next week.
9. True Story (Rupert Goold; April 17th)
Synopsis: The relationship between journalist Michael Finkel and Christian Longo, an FBI Most Wanted List murderer who for years lived outside the U.S. under Finkel’s name.
Why You Should See It: Each building up their dramatic profiles as of late, Jonah Hill and James Franco take the next obvious step and team together for a fairly dark thriller. I said in my review out of Sundance, “With a lack of urgency and subpar script, True Story might fumble in its first half, but by the finale, it’s an entertaining-enough depiction of obsession and deception.”
8. The Water Diviner (Russell Crowe; April 24th)
Synopsis: An Australian man travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli to try and locate his three missing sons.
Why You Should See It: Another directorial debut from a major Hollywood star this month, Russell Crowe‘s The Water Diviner has the makings of a promising drama. Shot by Andrew Lesnie (whose worked with Peter Jackson on all of his LOTR and Hobbit films), it’s been well-received in its native country and now it’ll get a U.S. release right before the summer season kicks off.
7. Ned Rifle (Hal Hartley; April 1st)
Synopsis: Henry and Fay’s son Ned sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother’s life. But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome Susan, whose connection to Henry predates even his arrival in the lives of the Grim family.
Why You Should See It: While it certainly isn’t a franchise as popular as the one below, Hal Hartley‘s Grim Family Saga is finally concluding this month with Ned Rifle, and it’s highly recommended for fans. We said in our review, “Tension arises from how every conversation becomes something of a verbal tennis match, to my mind compensating for the lack of clear narrative propulsion through a willingness, even obstinacy, to at least consider itself an intellectual cut above typical vengeance histrionics.”
6. Furious 7 (James Wan; April 3rd)
Synopsis: Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for the death of his brother.
Why You Should See It: If you’ve enjoyed the last few films in the Fast & Furious franchise, there’s little doubt you won’t have a great deal of fun with the latest. While it might wear out its welcome with one too many action sequences, what comes before is some of the most thrilling setpieces the franchise have. Capped off by the ideal emotional send-off for Paul Walker, one hopes this summer’s blockbuster slate can live up to this level of entertainment.
5. 5 to 7 (Victor Levin; April 3rd)
Synopsis: An aspiring novelist enters into a relationship with a woman, though there’s just one catch: She’s married, and the couple can only meet between the hours of 5 and 7 each evening.
Why You Should See It: Reminiscent of a 1950’s Audrey Hepburn drama, 5 to 7 is far from substantial, but it is one of the more enjoyable romantic dramas I’ve seen as of late. Led by Anton Yelchin and a ravishing Bérénice Marlohe, I said in my review, “Saccharine, overwhelmingly melodramatic and filmed with a glossy sheen, one is either quickly won over by the charms of the romantic drama 5 to 7 or simply turned off from the start.”
4. Iris (Albert Maysles; April 29th)
Synopsis: A documentary about fashion icon Iris Apfel from legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles.
Why You Should See It: With his recent passing, documentary master Albert Maysles not only left behind a legendary career, but there’s still films of his audiences have yet to see. As his iconic Grey Gardens currently enjoys a restored re-release, the last film he worked on, In Transit, will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. However, his last true solo effort is Iris, premiered at New York Film Festival last fall and tracks 94-year-old fashion icon and interior designer Iris Apfel, specifically with regard to her 2006 exhibition at the Met. We said in our review, “Iris offers an entertaining view into the artistic process, encroaching mortality, and societal trends.”
3. Ex Machina (Alex Garland; April 10th)
Synopsis: A young programmer is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.
Why You Should See It: Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac may be leading a certain highly-anticipated sci-fi feature later this year, but it’ll have a lot to live up to when it comes to their first of 2015, Ex Machina. The directorial debut of Alex Garland (Sunshine, 28 Days Later), we said in our review, “Ex Machina doesn’t want to simply be another movie in the large pantheon of science-fiction cinema, but instead builds on what has come before and distills it into a narrative that is rich and layered. With outstanding performances from Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander, a world of science is created that manages to blur the line without ever getting bogged down in exposition.”
2. Clouds of Sils Maria (Olivier Assayas; April 10th)
Synopsis: A veteran actress comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier.
Why You Should See It: After watching during New York Film Festival last year, my fondness for Clouds of Sils Maria has only grown in my estimation. Featuring stellar performances from Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart, we said in our review, “Sils Maria is clearly the product of two authors grappling with their past. Assayas and Binoche could simply remake the past; instead, they are reconsidering it and reinterpreting it in a new light. They have inhaled the youthful energy around them to move toward a thrilling future.”
1. About Elly (Asghar Farhadi; April 10th)
Synopsis: The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her follow travelers.
Why You Should See It: Our top choice this month might have premiered over five years ago, but we can’t deny it’s easily the best option. Finally getting a U.S. release thanks to Cinema Guild, we named it one of the best 2015 films we’ve already seen, saying, “A few years before A Separation left its considerable mark on the world-cinema landscape, Asghar Farhadi had another masterpiece under his belt. Why it’s been unavailable in the United States for some six years is a total mystery, but that (courtesy of Cinema Guild) has finally been taken care of — and now, at long last, here is About Elly. For fitting the mold of mystery, hangout movie, social critique, and gender-dynamics drama with equal aplomb, this film is the clearest example of Farhadi’s considerable powers. Its 2009 tag be damned, About Elly is likely to be one of the best “new” releases you’ll see this year.”
What are you watching this month?