April movie guide: Super Mario Bros., Renfield, Evil Dead Rise, and more

Other films to catch this month include Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Air, Owen Wilson in Paint, an Ana de Armas thriller, and two—yes, two—Judy Blume projects

Film Features Renfield
April movie guide: Super Mario Bros., Renfield, Evil Dead Rise, and more
Clockwise from left: Big George Foreman (Sony Pictures), Air (Amazon Studios), Evil Dead Rise (Warner Bros.), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures), Renfield (Universal Pictures) Graphic: Libby McGuire

The best thing about April for many film lovers is that it means they’re one month closer to May, when the summer movie season kicks into gear with Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X and The Little Mermaid. But don’t count April out! It’s a month filled with solid moviegoing options of the comedy, drama, and horror varieties.

We’ve got Chris Pratt starring in the fully CGI and rather psychedelic looking Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nicolas Cage at his Nic Cage-iest as Dracula in Renfield, Jake Gyllenhaal as a soldier in harm’s way in Afghanistan in Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, and Joaquin Phoenix on a desperate search for his mother in Beau Is Afraid. If those aren’t enough reasons to get you to the multiplex, then read on for even more worthwhile films coming in April.

previous arrowThe Super Mario Bros. Movie (in theaters, April 5) next arrow
The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Final Trailer

If any big screen adaptation of the iconic Nintendo video game is going to make us forget the lamentable 1993 live-action version starring Bob Hoskins, it will probably be , an energetic and colorful CGI-fest produced by Illumination, the folks behind the Minions films. If you’re expecting a full-throated defense of Chris Pratt’s casting as Mario, well, you’re not gonna get it. He does sound weird. But the film looks fabulously fun, as Mario and his brother Luigi try to keep Bowser from destroying the Mushroom Kingdom (spoiler assumption: they do). The voice cast seems up to the task and includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. We’re jumping (and driving and flying) for joy at the prospect of all the Easter eggs, video game references and in-jokes. [Mark Keizer]

5 Comments

  • electricsheep198-av says:

    I first saw the trailer for Renfield yesterday and I’m all in on that one for sure.One True Loves looks like it could be interesting, but agree that there could be some frustrating on-purpose miscommunication in there that will be annoying.  I do love Phillipa Soo.

    • teageegeepea-av says:

      There’s yet another Dracula movie from Universal coming out later this year with “Last Voyage of the Demeter”, but that doesn’t have names in its cast quite as big.If Robert Eggers ever makes his Nosferatu I hope he casts Willem Defoe as Renfield. Not only would he be the right age for a book-accurate version (unlike Nicholas Hoult or Dwight Frye), but he’d also be matching Klaus Kinski’s feat of playing both characters in separate movies.

    • hootiehoo2-av says:

      Yeah, when I saw the trailer for Renfield awhile back I was so looking forward to the part where Cage comes out as the Count! My god, can’t wait for this!

  • neatgrl-av says:

    Chevalier look interesting. It has a very modern slant but I’d watch it. The only thing I wish? It had been in French (I know I know, I like subtitles what can I say). Also, Renfield!

  • hootiehoo2-av says:

    All horror for me this month, Renfield, Beau is Afraid and Evil Dead rises. 

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