• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

10 Films to See In April (what are you watching?)

Status
Not open for further replies.
10 Films to See In April



In previous years, April might have signaled the calm before the blockbuster storm, but Hollywood has expanded their definition of the season. While limited releases (with some available everywhere on VOD) are the most promising films this month, Marvel will release their latest tentpole and a Christopher Nolan protege gets his first chance at directing. Check out our rundown of what films to see below and let us know what you're most looking forward to this month.

Matinees to See: The Unknown Known (4/2), Afflicted (4/4), Alan Partridge: The Movie (4/4), Draft Day (4/11), Hateship Loveship (4/11), Oculus (4/11), The Railway Man (4/11), Fading Gigolo (4/18), Godzilla: The Japanese Original (4/18), Young and Beautiful (4/25)

10. Dom Hemingway (Richard Shepard; April 4th)

dom_hemingway.jpg


Synopsis: After spending 12 years in prison for keeping his mouth shut, notorious safe-cracker Dom Hemingway is back on the streets of London looking to collect what he's owed.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: While he's been fairly upright and proper in recent films such as Anna Karenina, The Grand Budapest Hotel and even Side Effects to an extent, Jude Law goes delightfully off the rails in this recommended dark comedy. "He’s out of shape, incapable of humility or remorse, wildly unpredictable, and, frankly, one of the most interesting characters at the Toronto International Film Festival this year," we said in our review from the film's premiere.

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo; April 4th)

captainamerica201-e1396380765127-620x333.jpg


Synopsis: Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: While this film will certainly make more at the box-office than all of the others combined, Marvel actually has a creative reason to be proud of this sequel, as our review indicates it's among the best of their output. As someone who believes its predecessor was the most accomplished superhero film to date from the studio, I'm looking forward to seeing them switch up the formula a bit. We said, "even the opening fight scene here could be out of Metal Gear Solid, with its covert operation and Cap’s brute force mixed with delicate finesse," and if "we’re to grade them as cogs in an elaborate machine, The Winter Soldier is as important a link as we’ve seen yet."

8. Transcendence (Wally Pfister; April 18th)

transcendence1.jpg


Synopsis: A terminally ill scientist downloads his mind into a computer. This grants him power beyond his wildest dreams, and soon he becomes unstoppable.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: While Christopher Nolan will deliver Interstellar at the end of the year, here's hoping his longtime cinematographer's directorial debut is a worthy appetizer. The previews for Wally Pfister's Transcendence thus far have painted a cyber thriller that seems more in line with something from the '90's, but perhaps that won't be a bad thing in the glut of retreaded material that will follow this summer. With a remarkable cast and what's sure to be strong visuals, hopefully Pfister found a story worth telling.

7. Locke (Steven Knight; April 25th)

locke_header-e1396380727975-620x332.jpg


Synopsis: A single phone call causes the life of a successful construction manager to unravel during his drive home.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Since breaking out in Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson, Tom Hardy has mostly been relegated to supporting roles, whether it be major films like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises or the stellar Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but this year he finally returns to take the lead in Locke. Coming from Eastern Promises writer Steven Knight, the real-time thriller has been awarded acclaim since its debut on the fall festival and will now drive into limited release at the end of the month.

6. Blue Ruin (Jeremy Saulnier; April 25th)

blueruin_01-e1388845140287-620x284.jpg


Synopsis: A mysterious outsider's quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: One of the more impressive independent thrillers I've recently seen, we said in our review, "92 minutes of taut physical activity, morbid humor, and gruesome violence, Jeremy Saulnier’s Blue Ruin is one of the year’s leanest and most impressive killing machines. Saulnier begins his film with quiet, character-building chapters, but once he sets his resourceful, pleasingly narrow plot in motion, Blue Ruin becomes nothing more than a series of sharp, vicious set-pieces founded on Nash Edgerton-like bursts of violence. The film is a good example of the kind of genre treat that gets points for disposable ambition: Saulnier’s technique is so controlled, and his sequence staging so clever, that nothing else really matters."

5. Joe (David Gordon Green; April 11th)

joe.jpg


Synopsis: An ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: If Prince Avalanche was a step in the right direction, Joe marks David Gordon Green's fully-formed return to serious dramas. While it features one of Nicolas Cage's best performances, we said in our review that "it often feels like a brother to Jeff Nichols‘ brilliant Mud, even having the same young actor supporting his titular lead: Tye Sheridan." We added that "he knows emotional stoicism and unwavering moral centers in a way most adult actors can’t wrap their heads around. He embodies the hardworking boy-who-could-kick-your-butt image perfectly while, too, giving us a troubled soul in desperate need of our compassion and empathy."

4. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer; April 4th)

under_the_skin.jpg


Synopsis: An alien seductress preys upon hitchhikers in Scotland.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Ten years since his last feature film, Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth) returns with this visually stunning work of science-fiction. Featuring Scarlett Johansson's best performance since Lost in Translation, Under the Skin melds a haunting score (from Mica Levi) with otherwordly scenarios for a captivating portrayal of loneliness. While I was let down by the culmination and wish it left us with a bit more, it's hard not to recommend one of the most distinctive films we're bound to get this year.

3. Manakamana (Stephanie Spray, Pacho Velez; April 18th)

manakamana_03-620x312.jpg


Synopsis: A documentary about a group of pilgrims who travel to Nepal to worship at the legendary Manakamana temple.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: After helping bring to screens two of the most fascinating, genre-breaking documentaries of the last few years with Sweetgrass and Leviathan, the Harvard Sensory Ethnography Lab have returned with Manakamana. We showered with it praise at TIFF, saying in our full review, the film "is a spellbinding work of humanist cinema, and a rigorous experimental documentary that allows its viewers to breathe inside a unique landscape resting somewhere between nature and technology." While the release will presumably be a small one, make sure to seek it out if you can.

2. Nymphomaniac: Volume II (Lars von Trier; April 4th)

nymphomaniac_header-e1395402536992-620x317.jpg


Synopsis: The continuation of Joe's sexually dictated life delves into the darker aspects of her adult life and what led to her being in Seligman's care.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: If one has seen any number of Lars von Trier films -- particularly his last, Melancholia -- then you know the ending will be far removed from the beginning. Such is the case with Nymphomaniac, with its first volume carefully balancing humor with an engaging coming-of-age story of sorts. When it comes to the second half, it traverses down a much darker path, but one that can't be judged in full until you've seen the big picture (particularly the last five to ten minutes); this is technically one film, after all. While both parts are now available on VOD, we highly recommend taking the back-to-back theatrical journey, if it's available to you.

1. Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch; April 11th)

only_lovers_left_alive.jpg


Synopsis: A story centered on two vampires who have been in love for centuries.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: With the recent vampire trend running a stale, retreaded route, leave it to Jim Jarmusch to craft the best of the bunch. After premiering at Cannes nearly a year ago, Only Lovers Left Alive, led by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, will finally make its way to theaters this month. If one ever wanted to explore what vampires might actually be like if they've been around for centuries, Jarmusch provides the perfect, laidback depiction. Check out our review from the Cannes premiere for more on the must-see film.

Full list:

• Dom Hemingway (FoxS) - 4/2
• The Unknown Known (RTWC) - 4/2
• 10 Rules for Sleeping Around (Scre.) - 4/4
• Afflicted (2014) (CBS) - 4/4
• Alan Partridge: The Movie (Magn.) - 4/4
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (BV) - 4/4
• Flex is Kings (BBFR) - 4/4
• Frankie & Alice (2014) (LGF) - 4/4
• The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (Zeit.) - 4/4
• Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (IMAX) (WB) - 4/4
• Jinn (Free) - 4/4
• Nymphomaniac: Volume II (Magn.) - 4/4
• On the Other Side of the Tracks (Wein.) - 4/4
• The Players (Wein.) - 4/4
• Under the Skin (2014) (A24) - 4/4
• Watermark (E1) - 4/4
• Cuban Fury (E1) - 4/11
• Dancing in Jaffa (IFC) - 4/11
• Draft Day (LG/S) - 4/11
• Hank and Asha (FR) - 4/11
• Hateship Loveship (IFC) - 4/11
• Joe (2014) (RAtt.) - 4/11
• Oculus (Rela.) - 4/11
• Only Lovers Left Alive (SPC) - 4/11
• The Railway Man (Wein.) - 4/11
• Rio 2 (Fox) - 4/11
• Antboy (Cdgm.) - 4/16
• Heaven Is For Real (TriS) - 4/16
• 13 Sins (RTWC) - 4/18
• Bears (BV) - 4/18
• Fading Gigolo (MNE) - 4/18
• The Final Member (Drft.) - 4/18
• Godzilla: The Japanese Original (Rialto) - 4/18
• A Haunted House 2 (ORF) - 4/18
• Kid Cannabis (WGUSA) - 4/18
• Make Your Move (HTR) - 4/18
• Redwood Highway (Mont.) - 4/18
• Tasting Menu (Magn.) - 4/18
• That Demon Within (CL) - 4/18
• Transcendence (WB) - 4/18
• Blue Ruin (RTWC) - 4/25
• Brick Mansions (Rela.) - 4/25
• For No Good Reason (SPC) - 4/25
• From the Rough (Free) - 4/25
• The German Doctor (Gold.) - 4/25
• Last Passenger (Cohen) - 4/25
• Locke (A24) - 4/25
• The Other Woman (2014) (Fox) - 4/25
• The Quiet Ones (LGF) - 4/25
• Young and Beautiful (IFC) - 4/25

What are you seeing this month?
 
I've seen Only Lover Left Alive, Dom Hemingway, and Nymphbormaniac Vol 2. First two are entertaining. Last is horrible. Lars is a fucking child.



EDIT: I am going to see Blue Ruin. Heard nothing but amazing things about it.
 

UrbanRats

Member
Under the Skin.
Under the Skin.
Under the Skin.
Under the Skin.
Under the Skin.

and Under the Skin.

Blue Ruin and Locke also look somewhat interesting.
 

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
Watching both parts of Nymphomaniac back to back is highly.... HIGHLY recommended.
 

Oersted

Member
Lego Movie. It finally comes out here. Also, in non particular order:
Snowpiercer, Circles, A Simple Life, Noah, Fruitvale Station, Ida. I know, lots of late to the party cases.
 

Oldschoolgamer

The physical form of blasphemy
Watch Nymphomaniac back to back. Part 2 falls way the fuck off though.

Under The Skin
Blue Ruin
The Raid 2
Occulus
Cap 2
Only lovers left alive
Transcendence

...and any horror movie that's hitting VOD this month. Hope I can catch them all.
 

Dabanton

Member
Saw the poster for Blue Ruin the other day looks interesting I will avoid any trailers etc until I see it.

Awesome to see Locke getting so much love I did some work on it ages ago. So it's cool to see it spread out from it's small beginnings. Great movie as well.

Under The Skin is also worth seeing try and find a cinema with a great sound system.

The Winter Solider is a must see. Loved it. Nice compact espionage movie.
 

Blader

Member
Captain America: The Winter Solider
The Unknown Known (with Errol Morris Q&A after!)
Only Lovers Left Alive
Transcendence

And my girlfriend really wants to see Le Week-end, so maybe that one too.
 
Is Don Hemingway getting a re-release? Feels like it came out months ago.

Anyway, really looking forward to Locke. Trailer has me very intrigued and more Hardy is always a good thing.
 

GamerJM

Banned
Likely none because my university isn't near a theater. Might see Cap or the Raid 2 when I come home for Easter or something, but I can see both of those waiting a while as well.
 
Is Don Hemingway getting a re-release? Feels like it came out months ago.

Anyway, really looking forward to Locke. Trailer has me very intrigued and more Hardy is always a good thing.

Came out in the UK already I think and premiered at TIFF last fall. U.S. release is this week.
 
Didn't come out in April but I saw The Grand Budapest Hotel yesterday. It was fucking awesome.Definitely recommend it to movie lovers.
 
Enemy looks like a cronenberg ripoff, was it any good?

There's quite a lot I want to see there though for most I'll wait until dvd

Only seeing cap 2 and raid 2 in theatres this month

Tye Sheridan da gawd. Probably most impressive kid actor since bale for me
 

Lafiel

と呼ぶがよい
Under The Skin
Only Lovers Left Alive
Nymphomaniac

Pretty sure the first two aren't coming till May though.
 
I've been looking forward to all of these aside from Manakanama, which I hadn't heard of till now. Mainly really excited for Under The Skin and Blue Ruin. Hopefully, Enemy will finally release near me. A24 please.

Edit - Just saw the theater list for Enemy. Scratch that plan...
 
I've been looking forward to all of these aside from Manakanama, which I hadn't heard of till now. Mainly really excited for Under The Skin and Blue Ruin. Hopefully, Enemy will finally release near me. A24 please.

Edit - Just saw the theater list for Enemy. Scratch that plan...

Watch Sweetgrass and Leviathan and get hyyyyyyyped.
 

UrbanRats

Member
To be honest "Joe" has all the red flags of a piece of shit movie.

Nicholas Cage, ex-con, redemption, young boy.

Haven't seen anything from David Green, but i really wanted to check out George Washington a couple of years back, never got around to it, so maybe i'll watch that instead of Joe.
 
To be honest "Joe" has all the red flags of a piece of shit movie.

Nicholas Cage, ex-con, redemption, young boy.

Haven't seen anything from David Green, but i really wanted to check out George Washington a couple of years back, never got around to it, so maybe i'll watch that instead of Joe.

He's a lame director. You haven't seen Pineapple Express though? It's his masterpiece
 
To be honest "Joe" has all the red flags of a piece of shit movie.

Nicholas Cage, ex-con, redemption, young boy.

Haven't seen anything from David Green, but i really wanted to check out George Washington a couple of years back, never got around to it, so maybe i'll watch that instead of Joe.

Yeah, watch any of DGG's early films and that'll get you on the hype train.

I'm actually seeing it tonight, so will chime in with my thoughts.

What about The Grand Budapest? I just saw that and it was lovely.


That was released last month. It's fantastic, probably should've been higher on my list upon rewatch.
 
Enemy should also be expanding, but A24 is kind of f*cking it up. It's definitely worth seeing.

Saw it this Monday, and I'm still thinking about it. Best movie of 2014 so far IMHO. Watched Captain America afterwards and had a blast, too, it's only behind IM3 and Avengers for me.

Not sure when do those movies open here in Spain, but I'm for sure checking out Trascendence, Only Lovers Left and Under The Skin. We're getting Noah this Friday, can't wait to see it!

EDIT: I found Young and Beautiful awfully boring. Definitely the worst movie I've seen this year.
 

mikeroth

Member
That was released last month. It's fantastic, probably should've been higher on my list upon rewatch.

Really? I live in Hawaii so it was literally just put into theaters yesterday here. I didn't realize it's been out that long. I hardly read anything about it because I like going into movies blind. I just knew it would be good because... Wes Anderson. You know. :)
 

Sanjuro

Member
Looks like another rough month for me.

Besides Captain America, I really need to pick up my viewing habit once again.
 

Ridley327

Member
The Dissolve has been falling all over themselves in hyping up Blue Ruin for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, so I'll definitely catch that on demand (hooray for Radius-TWC doing day-and-date digital for their theatrical releases!).

Seems like a pretty damn solid April, and that's on top of some holdovers from March going a bit wider, like The Raid 2: Berendal and Jodorowsky's Dune (which is coming to my neck of the woods a day before my birthday!).
 

Guzim

Member
The Raid 2 comes to a local theater next week so I will be seeing that. I hope Transcendence is good.
 

styl3s

Member
The Raid 2 and Captain America.

Everything else i will wait for VOD/Blu-ray. I might even wait for Captain America.
 

Quick

Banned
Cap 2, Dom Hemingway, Transcendence, and Under the Skin are on my list.

Dom Hemingway is especially interesting, because I don't think I've seen Jude Law play anything off-kilter.

Transcendence also interests me because it loosely reminds me of an anime or animated series I've seen before.

Under the Skin...dat ScarJo.

I know almost nothing about Cuban Fury, but the combination of Nick Frost, Chris O'Dowd, and Rashida Jones looks interesting. It's a maybe.
 

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
Interested in:

* Locke
* Transcendence
* Under the Skin

And maybe a whole bunch of older movies. I haven't gone to a theater since New Year's day. Too much quality television available from home.
 
Ah, April... everything I missed at TIFF getting dumped into theatres at once. Nice. Totally hyped for the Jarmusch.

Hadn't heard of Blue Ruin or Locke, though, but the word of mouth is compelling so I'll ad 'em to the list. April is also Raid 2 month for me aw yiss.

edit - oh snap and the original Godzilla in a theatrical re-release? Assuming it plays here, can't say no.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom