Mid-April is here, and while we’re fully recovered from the food and sugar-induced coma of the Easter weekend, we’ve got a fresh batch of theatrical releases to look forward to. Admittedly, our offering is a bit less diverse this time around, with horror and animation making up most of our standout releases. This is not to say that humor and drama cannot be found in equal abundance. In fact, this weekend will be perfect for those looking for something a little different, whether it’s a funky studio release, charming indie productions, or slickly animated efforts.
Vampires, talking frogs, interdimensional doors, and exorcists are all here and in charge. Without further ado, these are some of our picks for the best movies to watch this weekend.
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story (April 13)
John Lennon is a lot of things to a lot of people. Whether you see him as a creative genius, a terrible person, or a little of both, there was a point when he and Yoko Ono broke up for 18 months. It was a period of time he later called his “lost weekend”. During this period, Lennon had a brief affair with a woman named May Pang.
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story is a documentary about Mai Pang’s life, from her childhood in the United States as the daughter of Chinese immigrants through to her brief relationship with Lennon. Featuring unseen archive footage, rare home recordings, and interviews with many of the most prolific members of the music industry, it will be an intriguing look at Bang’s private life as well as Lennon’s perspective.
Suzume (April 14)
A huge hit at the Japanese box office, it’s an official English title Suzume It will hit theaters this weekend. boss your name And weathering with you He returns with a story inspired by true tragedy and trauma and how to eventually deal with both over time. Our title character, in an effort to prevent a national catastrophe, travels the world with a mysterious stranger to close a series of disaster-inducing doors.
Director Makoto Shinkai has become synonymous with some of the most exciting animated films in memory. As visual powers and haunting dramas, his films have received critical acclaim and massive commercial success. Suzume She promises to deliver more of the same as she makes her Western theater debut. Just make sure you have a box of tissues ready.
Renfield (April 14)
In Nicolas Cage’s quest to be in almost every movie you can imagine, he takes on a particularly unique role as Chris McKay Renfield. As we follow the titular RM Renfield around modern-day New Orleans, his work-life balance is thrown off the hook when he falls in love with an everyday traffic cop. You may ask what does he do for a living? Well, he’s the butler and confidant of the old vampire Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage.
Based on a pitch by Robert Kirkman, it will be similar to Universal Invisible Man The reboot that reinvented the character for modern audiences. while Invisible Man It was supposed to be totally terrifying, however, Renfield Instead, they’ll take more direct inspiration from FX What do we do in the shadows? In being a hilarious comedy.
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (April 14)
Heavily inspired by the films of Quentin Tarantino, Once upon a time in Ukraine It promises to be a fun popcorn movie from an alternate history made in the country of the same name. The film follows a simple premise: What if the famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko had dropped his pen in favor of a samurai sword? Upon encountering Akayu, a samurai, the two go down a path of destruction in order to retrieve the family’s stolen property – and Taras’ partner – from a Ukrainian slave trader.
The movie wears its influence on its sleeve. The film’s graininess, excessive violence, and overwhelming sense of “coolness” stem from its promotional materials. If you don’t believe us yet, the movie goes by an alternate title: Unvirtuous slaves. Even if it’s a little on the nose, Once upon a time in Ukraine It promises to be a great action movie to watch this weekend, with the added benefit of supporting those who are currently suffering in the ongoing war.
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (April 14)
Based on a collection of short stories originally written by Horaki Murakami (driving my carAnd burning), this animated journey is a co-production of four countries. It will mainly focus on a bank employee interacting with a sentient anthropomorphic frog to prevent a deadly disaster from hitting Tokyo. Along the way, we’ll see how this trip affects an accountant with schizophrenia, an employee’s wife, and a lonely cat.
Using “reference” footage of an entire movie, Blind willow, sleeping woman Recreates the actors’ performances in charming 3D stop motion style combined with traditional 2D animation. Murakami’s previous efforts have been transferred so flawlessly to the big screen, that we’d have to believe this slightly more surreal story would impact audiences just as much.. If anything, it would be a visual treat at least.
Pope’s Exorcist (April 14)
From the director of the Nazi zombie movie overlord Come Exorcist Pope, a film loosely based on the real-life exorcist Gabriel Amorth. With Russell Crowe playing Amorth, we will follow him as an exorcism uncovers a massive conspiracy that the Vatican has kept under wraps for centuries. Different from other “exorcism” movies, it seems to focus more on what goes on in the organization rather than just dispelling demons.
Despite some mixed critical reception towards Exorcist PopeThere is a common denominator between the negative and positive reviews: Russell Crowe’s performance. Whether you call it passion or just throw it out, Crowe is sure to have fun even if the movie’s surrounding scares aren’t enough. A lot of horror movies are wonderfully entertaining for reasons other than deep thrills, and Exorcist Pope It seems to be no exception.
