The calm before the blockbuster storm is upon us and while Hollywood is letting a few tentpoles out of the gate early, this month’s top recommendations are an eclectic batch of divisive festival films finally making their way to screens. April will also see coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival and our first look at the Cannes line-up, so check out our top picks for the month below and let us know what you are most looking forward to in the comments.
Matinees: The Brass Teapot (4/5), The Company You Keep (4/5), 42 (4/12), The Angels’ Share (4/12), Kon-Tiki (4/19), Graceland (4/26), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (4/26)
10. Jurassic Park 3D (Steven Spielberg; April 5th)
Synopsis: God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs. Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth.
Why You Should See It: If it were 1993, this particular Steven Spielberg feature would be far and away the number one film to see in its respective month. So before all the dino-lovers get up in arms at a certain Michael Bay film being lower on the rundown, we’re focusing in on the 3D aspect when it comes to this recommendation. Early word on the post-conversion is that it’s one of the better looking options out there, so it seems that a return to Jurassic Park may be worth the price of admission.
9. Pain & Gain (Michael Bay; April 26th)
Synopsis: A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.
Why You Should See It: There are few directors in the film world whose name alone evokes a visceral reaction, but Michael Bay certainly falls into the category. Whether or not you are a fan of the man who embodies the term blockbuster, it’s hard not to be the least bit curious about his next effort. Finally ditching the world of robots (for a brief time), Pain & Gain seem him headed back to R-rated territory, with an insane true story to back him. Led by Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, who proved they have a funny bone together in The Other Guys, let’s hope this is a welcome precursor to the summer season.
8. Evil Dead (Fede Alvarez; April 5th)
Synopsis: Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival.
Why You Should See It: After being disgusted at just the trailers for this upcoming remake, there’s a strong chance one won’t find me in theaters opening weekend, but word out of its SXSW premiere indicates that Fede Alvarez’s new take on the Sam Raimi cult classic delivers the goods. As we said in our review, “everything about this film is about elevation — the gore and violence are challenging, and can quickly move from over-the-top hilarious in the extreme, to cringe-worthy and visually pungent. In 90 short minutes, Evil Dead gives you an emotional workout, and it’s a blast to experience.”
7. Oblivion (Joseph Kosinski; April 19th)
Synopsis: A veteran assigned to extract Earth’s remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.
Why You Should See It: While Joseph Kosinski didn’t deliver on the lofty expectations of his directorial debut Tron: Legacy, Hollywood is giving him another chance in the blockbuster realm with Oblivion. Sticking to sci-fi, the post-apocalyptic actioner is led by one of the genre’s most experienced actors and will hopefully have a strong script (with Toy Story 3 and Star Wars: Episode VII’s Michael Ardnt and The Departed‘s William Monahan having a hand). Aided once again by top musical talent (M83), our fingers are crossed that Kosinski’s visuals can meld with something of substance.
6. At Any Price (Ramin Bahrani; April 26th)
Synopsis: A farming family’s business is threatened by an unexpected crisis, further testing the relationship between a father and his rebellious son.
Why You Should See It: Although Zac Efron‘s last foray into the independent film world with The Paperboy left much to be desired, this spring will see him in a more substantial role under a director with a greater range of talent than Lee Daniels. Although we were mixed on At Any Price during its fall festival debut, I’m still anticipating Ramin Bahrani‘s drama, having admired the rest of his filmography.
5. Trance (Danny Boyle; April 5th)
Synopsis: An art auctioneer who has become mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.
Why You Should See It: He headed into space in Sunshine, found unprecedented acclaim with Slumdog Millionaire, took on a survival story in 127 Hours, but Trance sees Danny Boyle head back to fun, twisty crime territory. While this art heist-meets-hypnosis thriller can get needlessly convoluted as it progresses, the director’s energetic style, matched with a script that is bound to catch one off guard, makes for an entertaining effort. Check out our full review.
4. Mud (Jeff Nichols; April 26th)
Synopsis: Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.
Why You Should See It: If you’ve seen Jeff Nichols last two features, Take Shelter and Shotgun Stories, that’s reason enough to anticipate this Southern drama. Featuring another strong Matthew McConaughey performance in step with his recent resurgence, we were fans of it at Cannes, saying, “imperfect as it may be, this marks a step forward for Nichols as a filmmaker capable of making big entertainment that retains some intelligence and a palpable message as well.”
3. To The Wonder (Terrence Malick; April 12th)
Synopsis: After visiting Mont Saint-Michel, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Marina meets a priest and fellow exile, who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane.
Why You Should See It: While the elusive director could have hung up his hat after the completion of what was perhaps his magnum opus, The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick has been busier than ever. Before shooting back-to-back films last year, he completed this romantic drama, marking his most divisive film yet. While I don’t think it’s as successful as his previous works, we were on the positive side, praising the director for “continuing to strip the very medium of film down to its barest essentials [as] form once again trumps narrative in his beautiful account of love through memory.”
2. Upstream Color (Shane Carruth; April 5th)
Synopsis: A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.
Why You Should See It: Although it took nine years for director Shane Carruth to follow up his intricate, low-budget time-travel Primer, the wait was well worth it. His sophomore effort retains a similar requisite trait of attentiveness on the part of the viewer, but adds a remarkably effective level of emotion. As I said in my Sundance review, Upstream Color is a “a bold, dream-like whirlwind of an experience, one whose fleeting frustrations can be pardoned by its thoroughly captivating approach.”
1. Simon Killer (Antonio Campos; April 5th)
Synopsis: A recent college graduate flees to Paris after a break-up, where his involvement with a prostitute begins to reveal a potentially dark recent past.
Why You Should See It: Sitting atop this month’s list is the film that took the longest to reach screens. After premiering at Sundance Film Festival back in 2012 (read my rave review here), Simon Killer marks a staggering visual leap forward for Afterschool director Antonio Campos. Led by Brady Corbet (who worked with the director on Martha Marcy May Marlene), this psychologically searing character study is a striking, must-see work.
What are you watching this month?