Films to Watch in April 2024

There are a surprising number of films to watch in April 2024. While it may not be the fall festival or summer blockbuster season, plenty of projects still warrant a look.

I went into a lot more detail in a video for those who are interested On YouTube

These are the five that I’m looking to catch in theatres:

5. Challengers
Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name)
Stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist

Follows Zendaya’s character as she transitions from star tennis phenom to coach. She is coaching her husband as they try to get him to turn around after a long winning streak, culminating in a match on the Challengers tour against her ex-boyfriend and his ex-best friend.

Honestly, the plot itself sounds a tad cheesy, but I’m still interested based on the cast + crew. It’s also written by Justin Kuritzkes, who you may know from the Potion Cellar video circa 2009, but he’s an accomplished playwright and [bonus] is married to Celine Song, who absolutely crushed it with Past Lives last year.

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4. Arcadian
Directed by Benjamin Brewer (The Trust)
Stars Nicolas Cage

Set in the near future, it follows Nic Cage and his two sons as they try to survive in this somewhat post-apocalyptic world. Eventually, one of his sons doesn’t return home, so he sets out to find him, resulting in a monster-filled adventure.

I’m on board the Nic Cage Renaissance. Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and Dream Scenario have all been decent to good projects in recent years, so I’m hopeful the trend continues.

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3. Monkey Man
Directed by Dev Patel (first feature film)
Stars Dev Patel (plus, he co-wrote the project)

Rooted in the legend of Hanuman within Hinduism, it follows Patel’s character as he transitions from getting the crap kicked out of him in an underground club to becoming a vigilante on a revenge tour.

There was a super strong reaction from SXSW, and it seems to be a wild ride. I’m also a fan of Patel, and he’s been under-appreciated in recent years (particularly in The Green Knight, which was one of my favourite films of the year it came out). The film also has some deeper thematic implications, as Hanuman is a known symbol of anti-oppression.

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2. Housekeeping for Beginners
Directed by Goren Stolevski (You Won’t Be Alone, Of an Age) – also wrote and edited
Stars Anamaria Marinca

This film follows Marinca as “Dita”, a gay woman who never wanted to be a mother but has now been put into a situation where she needs to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters.

Looks to be a real tear-jerker, emphasizing the idea of “family” (not just being born into one, but choosing one, or being chosen by one). Stolevski has knocked it out of the park with his first two films (both super different in tone), and this one has a solid response based on its limited release so far.

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1. Civil War
Directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation)
Stars Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Nick Offerman

Civil War is set in the not-so-distant United States, where a civil war has erupted. We follow Dunst’s character as she works as a war journalist investigating the “truth” behind the war.

I’m on team Garland. Ex Machina is one of my favourite sci-fi films of the 21st century, and hell, I even enjoyed Men despite its pretty lackluster response. The buzz coming out of SXSW has been huge, and this is the largest budget ever afforded to an A24 project (~$75 million). It’s bound to be controversial, as Garland has never steered away from political/social undertones, and we already know about the divisions within the US. Just wait for a Ben Shapiro response video.

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