In April, it is telling that two publications are planned for release at once video game adaptations and there is not a single superhero blockbuster. Yes, Marvel’s «Thunderbolts*», and we will have a reason to talk about them in May. Another interesting thing is that there is a significant number of Ukrainian films in the repertoire and an unusually small number of streaming premieres. Read the article below to find out what we’re going to watch in April, and choose what you think is worth watching.
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Genre: post-apocalyptic horror movie, action movie
Premiere date: April 3
Release: movie theaters
In a gloomy post-apocalyptic world, there are practically no people left. Paul, along with his two teenage sons, Joseph and Thomas, are among the few survivors. However, they are still forced to live in constant fear because after every sunset, deadly creatures wake up, ready to destroy everything in their path. Faced with great danger, the characters try to do everything possible to survive.
Anything can be expected from films with the current Nicolas Cage, so in this case, whether to pay attention to the movie — is up to you. Apart from Cage, the other familiar names in — include Jaden Martell, best known for the «It» dilogy based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. But the localization of the title by our distributor is quite striking in this film in the context of the Ukrainian release — this is a truly linguistic exit into the darkness.
Genre: war drama, thriller
Premiere date: April 3
Release: movie theaters
Ukrainian soldier Anton is trapped when a shell hits the dugout he is in and blocks the entrance. When the hero regains consciousness, with numerous injuries, he realizes his predicament and that he is left alone with this situation. Now he will have to use all possible means to get out of the deadly trap.
The film was directed by Serhiy Kastornykh and starred Yuriy Kulinich, who you may have seen in «Bad Roads», «Rhino» and «Kings of rap». Yuriy was accompanied on the set by Hanna Birzul, Andriy Isayenko and Nazar Grabar.
Genre: historical drama
Premiere date: April 3
Release: movie theaters
The official synopsis on the distributor’s website «Arthouse Traffic» reads as follows: «On Christmas Eve, Bill — a kind-hearted coal merchant and father of five daughters — accidentally learns of the horrific conditions at a local convent where «fallen women» are kept. This discovery awakens painful memories of his own childhood and puts the man in a moral dilemma: to remain silent, as everyone else in town does, or to risk everything to save the women».
The plot of the film is based on the novel of the same name by Claire Keegan, published on November 30, 2021, and focuses on the infamous Magdalene laundries in Ireland. Cillian Murphy, in addition to playing the lead role, was one of the producers of the film. Among them are Ben Affleck, who we will mention later, and Matt Damon.
Genre: adventure fantasy, comedy
Premiere date: April 3
Release: movie theaters
Four misfits — Garrett «Scavenger» Harrison, Henry, Natalie, and Don — fall into a mysterious portal and suddenly find themselves in a strange cubic world. To get back home, they have to master this world and protect it from evil creatures, such as pygmies and zombies. The heroes embark on a magical journey with the experienced wizard Steve, where they will have a lot of exciting adventures related to the individuality and creative abilities of each of its participants.
The plot of this fantasy adventure blockbuster, as you might guess, is based on the sandbox video game of the same name, which was released in 2011. Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Daniel Brooks, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen will take on the quests in the corresponding cube setting. In all respects, it’s a typical popcorn movie intended for a family trip to the movies. But judging by the rather negative reaction of the public for trailers, which was even more pronounced in the recent «Snow White», it is not a fact that this world needs a movie at all.
Genre: biographical drama
Premiere date: April 10
Release: movie theaters
This is a story about a political and public figure of Crimean Tatar origin, Hero of Ukraine Mustafa Dzhemilev. The official synopsis is as follows: «1980, USSR. Mustafa Dzhemilev, a longtime political prisoner, is serving his exile in the village of Zyryanka in Soviet Yakutia. Here he works at an oxygen station, filling rusty cylinders with oxygen every day. His daily monotonous labor resembles the fate of the mythological Sisyphus».
The film was created by the creative tandem of director Ivan Tymchenko and screenwriter Mykhailo Brynykh, whose previous work includes the war drama «Ilovaisk 2014. Donbass Battalion» 2019. One of the roles was played by a theater and film actor, and from the first days of the full-scale invasion — by an Armed Forces serviceman Vasyl Kukharsky, who, unfortunately, died on December 7, 2023, in a Kyiv hospital after being seriously wounded in battle.
Genre: thriller, detective
Premiere date: April 10
Release: movie theaters
For the first time in a long time, Violet, a widow and mother, allows herself to go on a date with a guy named Henry. But what started as a dinner in a pleasant company turns into a nightmare for the heroine when she receives a series of anonymous messages on her cell phone. An ominous stranger asks her not to tell anyone and to follow his increasingly terrifying instructions, otherwise her younger sister Jen and son Toby will be killed. Eventually, the voice on the phone orders her to kill Henry. What is a desperate woman willing to do to save the lives of her dearest people?
«Drop» — a new work from the director of the comedy slashers «Happy Death Day» and «Freaky», as well as a family comedy «We have a ghost» Christopher Landon. Megan Fegi and Brandon Sklenar play the lead roles.
Genre: spy thriller
Premiere date: April 10
Release: movie theaters
After CIA cryptographer Charles Heller loses his wife in a terrorist attack in London, he realizes that the department will not act due to conflicting internal priorities. So, having no other choice, Charles begins to blackmail the agency to make him a field operative. After that, the hero goes on a solo mission to track down those responsible for the death of his beloved.
The March spy thriller is still fresh in our minds «Black Bag», which featured a married couple working in intelligence, when a new representative of the genre hits the screens, this time about revenge for his beloved wife. Rami Malek will be taking revenge, for whom spy showdowns are not new — he has previously tried on the image of a villain in the latest Bond film «No Time to Die» (2021). The cast will also include Laurence Fishburne, Jon Bernthal, Rachel Brosnahan, and Julianne Nicholson, who was also mentioned in March thanks to the series «Paradise».
Genre: action movie, thriller
Premiere date: April 10
Release: Prime Video
US President Danielle Sutton must protect her family, fellow leaders, and the world when the G20 summit in Cape Town is hijacked by terrorists. Viola Davis, 59, has been entrusted with this responsible mission, and after playing Amanda Waller in the DC superhero movie universe, she is no stranger to playing the «Iron Lady» in every sense. And the villains will be led by Anthony Starr, who was especially good at it in the anti-superhero satire «The Boys». The next version of «Die Hard» is due out on Prime Video on April 10.
Genre: crime thriller
Premiere date: April 17
Release: movie theaters
Retired police detective Roy Freeman, who is undergoing treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, is forced to reopen an old case of the murder of a college professor. This is because he has received new details of the crime from a human rights activist just before the convict’s death sentence is to be carried out.
Russell Crowe continues to consistently star in something unremarkable and one-day affairs — this time, the former gladiator did not disdain to take part in the film adaptation of the novel «Book of Mirrors» by Eugene Kirovitz, which appeared on bookstore shelves in 2017. Crowe’s partner on the set was Karen Gillan.
Genre: thriller
Premiere date: April 17
Release: movie theaters
A young, frivolous car thief, Eddie Burrish, finds himself trapped inside a heavily modified car. A mysterious sociopath locks it up and intends to teach the rascal a lesson once and for all.
«Locked Up» — is an English-language remake of the 2019 Argentine action film «4×4». The on-screen confrontation between the former Pennywise and The Crow on the one hand, and Hannibal Lecter — on the other hand, will start on April 17.
Genre: criminal action movie
Premiere date: April 17
Release: movie theaters
Former FBI agent Lucas Reyes has lost his job, so he is forced to perform various, mostly dangerous tasks for dubious clients. One day, Lucas is contacted by his ex-boss, Katherine Brant, who asks him to perform a favor in exchange for his old job. On board a flight from Singapore to San Francisco, he has to arrest a man nicknamed «Ghost» and hand him over to the US authorities. But the hero could not even imagine that this seemingly simple task would turn into an impossible mission because the plane is filled with a bunch of mercenaries hunting for the Ghost.
At first glance, «Fight or Flight» seems to be «Bullet Train» (2022) on an airplane. However, whether the new movie will be as good in terms of staging fight scenes as the action movie by David Leitch, a well-known master in this field, is an open question. Josh Hartnett and Katee Sackhoff are set to play the lead roles. We hope that this flight will be cooler than the one called «Flight Risk».
Genre: a horror movie about the supernatural
Premiere date: April 17
Release: movie theaters
The film takes place in the 1930s in the southern United States, in the era of «Jim Crow laws». Trying to leave their difficult lives behind, twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their hometown to start over. But on the spot they encounter a mysterious evil, a meeting with which does not bode well.
«Sinners» was written and directed by Ryan Coogler, for whom this is his fourth collaboration with actor Michael B. Jordan after the crime drama «Fruitvale Station» (2013), a sports drama «Creed» (2015) and the superhero action movie «Black Panther» (2018). Well, it’s a fruitful collaboration, to say the least.
Genre: drama
Premiere date: April 24
Release: movie theaters
The action takes place in Mexico City in the 1950s. A middle-aged American expatriate, William Lee, falls in love with a much younger man. Meeting a student, Eugene Allerton, changes his life forever. The local story is based on the novel of the same name by William Burroughs, directed by Italian Luca Guadagnino and starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey.
If this story sounds familiar to you, as well as the director’s name, then there is nothing surprising here. Because Guadagnino previously made a name for himself with the acclaimed drama «Call Me by Your Name» (2017) starring a very young Timothée Chalamet and the now-canceled Armie Hammer. If you primarily associate Daniel Craig with the masculine James Bond, then it’s probably best to skip this film, as it promises explicit homosexual scenes. Critics, by the way, are delighted with the former 007 agent’s performance — no wonder he was nominated for a «Golden Globe», a «Critics’ Choice» and a Screen Actors Guild Award for this work.
Genre: drama
Premiere date: April 24
Release: movie theaters
Step-sisters Jaszmina and Malgorzata have not been in touch for a long time, but the news that their father, a volunteer on the front line, has been wounded forces the heroines to forget about old quarrels. They set off together from Poland to Ukraine to find him. In a country gripped by a terrible war, the sisters are forced to go through difficult trials, which makes them reassess not only their outlook on life, but also their attitude towards each other.
«Two Sisters» is the result of a Polish-Ukrainian co-production — the film was directed by Polish director Lukasz Karwowski and starred Polish actresses Karolina Rzepa and Diana Zamojska. As for the Ukrainian presence in the film, viewers will be able to see Irma Vitovska, the star of the comedy series «House of Happiness», Vitalina Bibliv, Oleksandr Rudynskyi and others. Filming took place in Kyiv and the region, as well as in Chernihiv and Kharkiv. This is one of the first films to be produced in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion.
Genre: adventure fantasy
Premiere date: April 24
Release: movie theaters
In a remote village in the Carpathian Mountains, a girl named Yuri is raised to never go out after dark, afraid of the forest beasts known as occhis. When a pack abandons a baby occhis, the young heroine embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite the baby with her family.
«The Legend of Ochi» — is the debut feature film for director Isaiah Saxon, who was lucky enough to have stars like Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson at his disposal. The film uses elements of puppetry (puppeteers control the toy on the green background), animatronics, computer animation, and artistic disguise.
Genre: horror movie
Premiere date: April 24
Release: movie theaters
A year after the mysterious disappearance of her sister, Clover and her friends travel to a remote valley in search of answers. There they are brutally murdered, but the bewildered heroes wake up and find themselves at the very beginning of their quest. Caught in an endless time loop, they are forced to relive various horrors over and over again, and each time the killer is different, much more terrible than the last. And the only way to escape is to live until dawn.
«Until Dawn» — is an adaptation of the 2015 video game of the same name, which imitated slasher films and was made in the genre of an interactive movie with elements of survival horror. The film adaptation will take place in the same universe and will be a separate story, which promises to expand the mythology of the original game source. The horror version of «Edge of Tomorrow» (2014) is expected to be released from April 24.
Genre: action movie, thriller
Premiere date: April 24
Release: movie theaters
When a close friend of U.S. Treasury Department analyst Marybeth Medina is murdered by unknown killers, she is forced to contact her old friend Christian Wolfe to track down the culprits. Enlisting the support of his estranged brother Brax, Chris uses a brilliant mind and not-so-legal methods to piece together a complex puzzle. As the trio gets closer to the truth, they attract the attention of ruthless killers intent on putting an end to their quest.
The sequel to 2016’s action thriller «The Accountant» brings back Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson and J.K. Simmons to reprise their roles. The authors of its predecessor, screenwriter Bill Dubuque and director Gavin O’Connor, are also on board.
Genre: action movie, thriller
Premiere date: April 25
Release: Netflix
After a drug deal goes awry, Detective Walker must fight his way through the underworld to rescue a missing politician’s son while unraveling the dark web of conspiracy and corruption in his city.
The new action movie from the director of two «Raids», Gareth Evans, starring Tom Hardy — sounds promising. We will find out what it will be like on April 25.
