April tends to be a quiet month, balancing movie premieres with Holy Week. Attention shifts to a blend of major titles and independent offerings: from a fresh animated chapter in the Super Mario Bros saga to a Damon–Affleck collaboration reviving the classic The Three Musketeers, alongside other genre selections and potential vampire intrigue with Nicolas Cage’s Count Dracula weaving into new adventures.
‘AIR’ by Ben Affleck. Wednesday, Day 5
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck stand as a notable indie beacon. When the friends co-wrote the screenplay for Good Will Hunting, it earned an Oscar and cemented a long-running collaboration. Years later, they remain close collaborators, launching their own production company and starring in a film about a rookie relationship between Michael Jordan and the Nike brand, with Affleck directing.
‘Super Mario Bros.: The Movie’ by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. Wednesday, Day 5
It reimagines one of the most recognizable video game universes from Nintendo. The cinematic adaptation follows a long lineage that includes a 1993 live-action film and a series of shorts. This version arrives in extended animation overseen by Nintendo creator Shigeru Miyamoto, with voices by Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and Seth Rogen.
Innocent, Louis Garrel. Wednesday, Day 5
Louis Garrel steps out from behind the shadow of his father, the prolific French director Philippe Garrel, to present a highly personal, tense yet playful mode of storytelling. He portrays a young man confronting the reality that his mother is about to marry a man who is in prison, delivering a quietly charged performance.
Renfield by Chris McKay. Friday, 14
Nicolas Cage returns to a gothic playground as Count Dracula in a new tonal shift that leans into humor while keeping the monster’s menace. Chris McKay, known for The LEGO Movie, directs, with Nicholas Hoult playing the loyal sidekick Renfield, adding a fresh dynamic to the Count’s nocturnal domain.
‘The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan’ by Martin Bourboulon. Friday, 14
The timeless Alexandre Dumas tale continues to inspire cinema, crossing genres from adventurous to musical to parodic. This French adaptation centers on the ensemble cast: Eva Green as Milady de Winter, Vicky Krieps and Louis Garrel as the monarchs, and Vincent Cassel as Athos, highlighting a modern focus on star performances within a classic adventure.
‘Novembre’ by Cédric Jiménez. Friday, 14
A new perspective on a terrorist attack, filming the events from the perpetrators’ viewpoint as the counterterrorism police work to track them down. The project blends reconstruction with documentary rigor, underscoring the drama and investigation surrounding the tragedy.
‘Hell Capture: Awakening’ by Lee Cronin. Friday, 21
Following in the wake of Sam Raimi’s infamous horror lineage, Lee Cronin explores a fresh take on the demonic lore of a famed ancient text. While Raimi contributed as executive producer, Cronin is allowed to push the boundaries of fear with his own stylistic choices within the franchise’s dark universe.
Estibaliz Urresola’s ‘20,000 Species of Bees’. Friday, 21
Sofia Otero delivers a performance that won critical acclaim at Berlin, portraying a boy who identifies with a girl and finds understanding through his mother, Patricia López Arnaiz. The film earned top festival honors, including audiences’ rapt attention and acting accolades for López Arnaiz at Malaga’s competition.
If I… Or If I Don’t, Michael Jacobs. Friday, 21
In this romantic comedy, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon take on maternal roles while Richard Gere and William H. Macy anchor the parental figures. Emma Roberts and Luke Macey navigate a marriage that seeks guidance, with the film exploring the bumps and balance of love and commitment.
“Beau is Afraid” by Ari Aster. Friday 28
Ari Aster returns with a bold departure from the director’s earlier horror successes. Joaquin Phoenix leads the journey as a character who confronts deep-seated fears on a road back to his family, delivering a distinctive blend of dread and dark humor that marks a new tonal direction for the filmmaker.