Our picks of the most intriguing movies coming to UK/ROI cinemas in April.
Words by Eric Hillis
Compared to the over-stuffed March, April is relatively lighter on releases, but there's still lots to look forward to. Here are the 10 movies we're most excited to see. Don't forget to pick the movie you most want to see in our poll below.
120 Beats Per Minute
Winner of Best Film at France's César Awards, director Robin Campillo's drama looks at the work of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) movement in Paris during the 1990s, with Campillo and screenwriter Philippe Mangeot pulling from their own experiences during the era.
In cinemas April 6th.
A Quiet Place
John Krasinski directs and stars alongside his wife Emily Blunt in this supernatural thriller, which boasts one of the year's most intriguing hooks. A family lives in isolation, unable to make the quietest of sounds for fear of attracting a sinister presence that appears to have wiped out all other life. Krasinski's film received rave reviews following its recent premiere at SXSW.
In cinemas April 5th.
Thoroughbreds
Playwright Cory Finley makes his directorial debut with this blackly comic thriller about a pair of upper class teens (Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke) who blackmail a drug dealer (Anton Yelchin in what is likely the last performance we'll see on the big screen from the late actor) into committing murder.
In cinemas April 6th.
A Gentle Creature
Inspired by the short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Sergei Loznitsa's film follows the efforts of a woman (Vasilina Makovtseva) who seeks answers when her husband mysteriously disappears from the prison he was serving time in. While another Russian drama, Loveless, overshadowed it at last Cannes, it was hugely admired by critics regardless.
In cinemas April 13th.
Custody
From Kramer vs. Kramer to 2016's After Love, dramas set in the tumultuous arena of a divorce have offered actors a chance to let rip with their emotions. In Xavier Legrand's Custody, it's Léa Drucker and Denis Ménochet who face off in a battle to win their son, with a troubled past resurfacing during the proceedings.
In cinemas April 13th.
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts
Indonesian writer/director Mouly Surya draws influences from western and eastern cinema with this esoteric revenge thriller that combines elements of spaghetti westerns and samurai dramas. Marsha Timothy is quietly charismatic in the title role, while cinematographer Yunu Pasolang creates some stunning images from the rugged Indonesian landscape.
In cinemas April 13th.
Western
Featuring in many of the end of year lists submitted by critics to last year's Sight & Sound poll was a surprise entry - director Valeska Grisebach's third film, Western. Set in Bulgaria, the film explores tensions between a group of German construction workers and the local villagers.
In cinemas April 13th.
Let the Sunshine In
Claire Denis loosely adapts Roland Barthes' 1977 text 'A Lover's Discourse: Fragments', casting Juliette Binoche in the central role of a woman who engages in several unfulfilling trysts with men with whom she debates the nature of relationships.
In cinemas April 20th.
Beast
Over the last couple of years, British indie cinema has fled the traditional base of council estates and tower blocks to explore dramas in more rural settings. Michael Pearce’s feature debut takes place on the island of Jersey, where an introverted young woman (Jessie Buckley) becomes romantically involved with a man (Johnny Flynn) suspected by many locals to be responsible for a series of unsolved murders.
In cinemas April 27th.
The Wound
LGBTQ+ cinema is currently experiencing a purple patch with acclaimed films like Moonlight, God's Own Country and Call Me by Your Name winning awards and plaudits. This South African drama focusses on two closeted gay men, members of the rural Xhosa community, and how their role in a tribal initiation ceremony brings their sexuality and feelings to the surface.
In cinemas April 27th.