Movie Preview: 10 Films to See in April

This month's notable theatrical releases

Below, our editors have selected 10 interesting films debuting this month, listed in alphabetical order.

. About Elly Watch trailer(s)
NR Foreign/Drama | April 8 | Directed by Asghar Farhadi

Also by this director:

85 The Past (2013)
95 A Separation (2011)
69 The Beautiful City (2006)

It might be late, but we'll take it. Released in most countries before his 2011 international hit A Separation (and finally debuting in the U.S. this month), Asghar Farhadi’s About Elly concerns the mysterious disappearance of the title character, a teacher, and how it impacts a group of friends. As with his most recent film, The Past, critics are once again impressed by the director's psychological insight and ability to build complex characters and a narrative that turns on subtle deceptions.

. Adult Beginners Watch trailer(s)
NR Drama/Comedy | April 24 | Directed by Ross Katz

Produced by the Duplass brothers, this debut theatrical feature by director Ross Katz (working from a script by Jeff Kox and Liz Flahive) stars Nick Kroll as an entrepreneur who crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale), and three-year-old nephew in the suburbs—only to become their manny. Paula Garcés plays a nanny whom Kroll’s Jake gravitates toward, while the remainder of the strong supporting cast is made up of recognizable comedy and sitcom veterans like Joel McHale, Bobby Moynihan, Jason Mantzoukas, Mike Birbiglia, Jane Krakowski, and Josh Charles.

. Child 44 Watch trailer(s)
R Thriller | April 17 | Directed by Daniel Espinosa

Also by this director:

52 Safe House (2012)
75 Easy Money (Snabba Cash) (2012)

For his second English-language film, Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) directs Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Vincent Cassel, Joel Kinnaman, Jason Clarke, and Charles Dance in an adaptation of Tom Rob Smith’s novel. Scripted by Richard Price (Clockers, The Wire), Child 44 takes place in Stalin’s Soviet Union and follows security officer Leo Demidov (Hardy) as he tries to capture a child killer but finds the state standing in his way. Supported by his wife (Rapace), Leo eventually joins forces with Oldman’s General Mikhail Nesterov despite the protestations of his rival, Vasili (Kinnaman). The thriller’s release has been delayed multiple times—usually a bad sign—but all that talent behind and in front of the camera suggests that we shouldn't give up on the film yet.

. Clouds of Sils Maria Watch trailer(s)
R Drama | April 10 | Directed by Olivier Assayas

Also by this director:

76 Something in the Air (2013)
94 Carlos (2010)
84 Summer Hours (2009)
47 Boarding Gate (2008)
75 Clean (2005)
64 Demonlover (2003)
73 Les Destinées (2002)

In Olivier Assayas’ latest, Juliette Binoche plays Maria Enders, a legendary film actress who agrees to star in a revival of the play that made her famous. But this time she will play the role of Helena, an older woman driven to suicide by the younger Sigrid, who will be played by Hollywood starlet Jo-Anne Ellis (Chloe Grace Moretz). While Binoche’s performance earned plenty of praise when the film premiered in Cannes last year, it is Kristen Stewart, as her assistant Val, whom critics singled out most often. The performance eventually earned Stewart a César (France’s equivalent to the the Oscars) for best supporting actress, making her the first American actress to win that award. And even though critics didn’t fall for Assayas’ Something in the Air quite as hard as they did for Carlos and Summer Hours, his impressive cast here should help him continue his current streak of well-regarded films.

. Ex Machina Watch trailer(s)
R Sci-fi/Thriller | April 10 | Directed by Alex Garland

After writing a novel that was adapted into a film (The Beach), several original screenplays (28 Days Later, Sunshine), and even adaptations of others' work (Never Let Me Go, Dredd), Alex Garland finally adds director to his job duties with this story (which he also wrote) about Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at a giant tech company who wins a competition to spend a week at the private estate of the company’s brilliant CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Once he gets there, Caleb soon finds out that he’s not on vacation. Instead, he’s there to test Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence, Ava (Alicia Vikander), and this proves much more difficult than either imagined. Garland’s track record and good early reviews make this a can’t miss for sci-fi fans.

. Furious 7 Watch trailer(s)
PG-13 Action/Thriller | April 3 | Directed by James Wan

Also by this director:

40 Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
34 Dead Silence (2007)
46 Saw (2004)

In the seventh entry in the Fast & Furious franchise, the “Fast” has been dropped for a revenge story involving Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), brother of Fast & Furious 6 villain Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Director Justin Lin decided to sit this one out, so James Wan takes over directing duties. But the on-screen crew returns: Vin Diesel, Tyrese, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Elsa Pataky, Lucas Black, Dwayne Johnson, and the late Paul Walker, whose role was completed with help from his brother and footage from the earlier films. Joining the flying cars for the first time are Kurt Russell, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Djimon Hounsou, and Iggy Azalea. Reviews have been good so far, with many critics commenting on the film’s ability to honor the action and heart of the franchise.

. Lambert & Stamp Watch trailer(s)
R Documentary | April 3 | Directed by James D. Cooper

This documentary directed by first-timer James D. Cooper and edited by Christopher Tellefsen (Moneyball, The Drop) shines a light on Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, an unlikely pair who aspired to make an underground movie about the restless youth of the early 1960s, and during their search for a subject, discovered a band called the High Numbers. Instead of making a film, Lambert and Stamp decided to manage the group, which eventually became known as the Who. Excellent early reviews suggest that movie and music lovers should seek this one out. As David Rooney of THR writes, “Is it too sweeping a statement to say Lambert & Stamp instantly earns a place in the pantheon of great music docs? Who cares, let’s just go ahead and say it.”

. Tangerines Watch trailer(s)
NR Foreign/Drama | April 17 | Directed by Zaza Urushadze

At this year’s Academy Awards, where Ida walked away with the best foreign language film Oscar, Zaza Urushadze's Tangerines was the least-known nominee since it had yet to be released in the United States. Set in 1992 during the growing conflict between Georgia and Abkhazian separatists, the story follows two Estonian immigrant farmers who decide to remain in Georgia long enough to harvest their tangerine crop. When the war comes to their doorsteps, Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) takes in two wounded soldiers from opposite sides. The fighters vow to kill each other when they recover, but their extended period of recovery has a humanizing effect that might even transcend ethnic divides.

. True Story Watch trailer(s)
R Drama/Thriller | April 17 | Directed by Rupert Goold

The first film from theater director Rupert Goold is based on a memoir by Michael Finkel, a New York Times reporter whose identity was stolen by accused killer Christian Longo. In his book, True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa, Finkel recounts his bizarre relationship with Longo, which included teaching him how to write a book in exchange for Longo’s story. The film version casts Jonah Hill and James Franco in the roles of Finkel and Longo, respectively, but early reviews differ on the success of their performances, as well as Goold’s jump into film directing. However, with a strong supporting cast that includes Felicity Jones, Ethan Suplee and Gretchen Mol, True Story could still intrigue those who liked two other recently popular true crime stories—Serial and The Jinx.

. The Water Diviner Watch trailer(s)
R Drama | April 24 | Directed by Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe’s feature directorial debut earned eight nominations and three wins at this year’s Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, sharing the best film prize with The Babadook. The story follows an Australian farmer (Crowe) as he travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli in hopes of finding his three missing sons. Written by Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios and characterized as an old-fashioned war melodrama by critics, The Water Diviner also stars Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, and AACTA best supporting actor winner Yilmaz Erdogan.

What do you think?

Which films are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments section below. For a complete, updated listing of all upcoming film releases by date, including films arriving later in 2015, visit our Movie Calendar.