After a particularly buzzing time at the box office in March, thanks to the release of Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, April is looking to continue the trend with several major films dropping this month. Several films that premiered at last month’s South by Southwest film festival will drop through the month, each one garnering more praise with the last. With so many options to choose from this month, here’s four movies you will definitely want to keep on your radar:
The Greatest Hits
April 5 in theaters and April 12 on Hulu
This Hulu original was one of the buzziest films at this year’s South by Southwest film festival. The Greatest Hits premiered at the Austin-based festival on March 14 and has been receiving excellent reviews for not only the intriguing new twist in the time-travel genre but also for the stellar soundtrack. which uses songs from boygenius, Beach House, Lana Del Rey, Jamie XX and more. That’s because music is the unofficial main character in the film. The real main character is Harriet (Lucy Boynton), a producer-turned-librarian who is making her way through hundreds of vinyl records, trying to find the right song that will save her former boyfriend (David Corenswet) from a tragic fate. As she makes her way through each song, a new potential love interest (Justin H. Min) comes along reminding her that getting stuck in the past is not a life worth living.
Civil War
April 12
One of the most anticipated releases of the month is Alex Garland’s Civil War. The A24 film has generated a lot of buzz, not only for its stellar cast — Nick Offerman! Kirsten Dunst! Jesse Plemons! — but also for its intriguing premise: Set in the not-too-distant future, a group of journalists travels across the United States as a Civil War erupts for the first time in nearly 200 years. As they race against the clock to reach the nation’s capital, rebel factions led by the separatist Western Forces are prepared to incur wrath on the White House. It appears Alex Garland, known for his previous works which includes 28 Days Later, Annihilation and Ex Machina, has created another dystopian action thriller masterpiece.
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver
April 19
April appears to be a great month for dystopian wars to break out, because Netflix is dropping Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver, the second film in Zack Snyder’s sci-fi epic. This installment follows Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to defend the brave people of Veldt and their village against the forces of the Motherworld. Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae and Anthony Hopkins and more will star in this epic film. The first part dropped back in December and debuted at the top of Netflix’s top 10 English-language film list. Though it didn’t last long on top, perhaps Snyder’s second chapter will fair better.
Unsung Hero
April 26
for KING & COUNTRY are heading to the big screen — and they’re bringing the whole family along. Unsung Hero adapts the Smallbone family’s real-life journey from Australia to the United States in the 1990s. Joel Smallbone stars in the film as his father, who at 39, moved his family to Nashville after his successful music company in Australia collapsed. The film picks up at the family’s American origin story in 1991, and explores the resilience of family as well as the burgeoning talent of Joel’s sister, Rebecca St. James, whose singing ability starts to draw attention. Beyond starring in the lead role, Smallbone also served as a cowriter and codirector alongside Richard Ramsey, and he wasn’t the only family member present. His younger brother, Luke, contributed as a producer alongside Justin Tolley and Josh Walsh (Jesus Revolution). The heartwarming story also stars Kirrilee Berger, Jonathan Jackson, Lucas Black, Candace Cameron Bure, Terry O’Quinn and Hillary Scott.
