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 arrowOn A Wing And A Prayer (streaming, April 7) next arrow
On a Wing and a Prayer - Official Trailer | Prime Video

For some reason, when hearing about the new thriller , in which an air traffic controller helps Louisiana dad Dennis Quaid land a twin engine aircraft after the pilot dies mid-flight, we flashed to Robert Hayes being talked to the ground by a glue-sniffing Lloyd Bridges in Airplane! This film, admittedly, is made of more serious stuff and looks to be quite the white knuckle thrill ride, with a strong family component to up the emotional stakes. Based on a true story from 2009 and co-starring Heather Graham as Quaid’s wife, On A Wing And A Prayer is directed by Sean McNamara, who also directed Soul Surfer, about teenage surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm during a 2003 shark attack. The movies definitely don’t want for hair-raising thrillers that take place on a plane, but On A Wing And A Prayer looks to mine fertile ground by adding faith-based themes to the mix. [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. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share Tweet Submit Pin