By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
After a March that featured two early Best Picture candidates with “Dune: Part Two” and “Cabrini,” what could April produce to possibly compete? This month will shower audiences with mostly horror and action, but also a couple of dramas thrown in towards the end of the month. Here’s a sneak peek at these adrenaline inducing films seeking box office glory.
April 5th
Beginning the month is a prequel to a 1976 horror classic. “The First Omen” will feature some of the same characters from the original played by different actors of course. Nell Tiger Free lands the starring role, which piques some interest after her oddly captivating performance in M. Night Shyamalan’s TV series “Servant.” However, this will be Arkasha Stevenson’s directorial feature film debut, and inexperience derails horror films more often than not. Wait for the reviews to roll in before heading to the theater for this one.
Next up, audiences will be served a plate of vengeance in the form of “Monkey Man.” Oscar nominee Dev Patel (“Lion”) not only stars in the lead role, but also makes his directorial feature film debut. Not many actors can handle both of these enormous responsibilities, but he has the talent to make it work. It looks to be a fairly straightforward action flick in the style of “John Wick,” so it’s likely the safer bet this week.
April 12th
What better way to kick off the presidential election year than an action flick that shows a dystopian America in the near future. “Civil War” is written and directed by the visionary filmmaker Alex Garland, who’s responsible for wonderfully cerebral films like “Annihilation” and “Ex Machina,” for which he received an Oscar nomination. With this being an election year, it is sure to play on people’s election anxieties and create a frighteningly real feeling scenario. This is one to keep an eye on, because Garland is known to challenge viewers and the way they think.
April 19th
The theme of war continues this week with a new film from Guy Ritchie. “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” features action stars Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”) and Alan Ritchson (“Reacher”) and is based on a wild true story during World War II. The trailers look interesting enough and Ritchie’s filmmaking style is certainly imprinted on the film, but his films have been hit or miss lately. Hopefully it’s more like “Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant” rather than “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.”
Next up is another horror film that features a teenage ballerina vampire in a tutu. Try not to judge “Abigail” by its cover, because the directors are Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the same director team responsible for “Ready or Not” and the last two “Scream” films, all of which were well made and highly entertaining. These guys use copious amounts of blood in their films, and by all accounts, this movie will be no exception. This one may actually be some fun to watch.
April 26th
Action and horror take a back seat this week. “Challengers” is a risqué dramatic romance featuring Zendaya in the lead role as a young tennis pro who is the object of two best friends’ affection. Sicilian born director Luca Guadagnino, who received an Oscar nomination for “Call Me by Your Name,” helms this sports-based love triangle. While tennis films do not usually move the entertainment needle very well, the talent on both sides of the camera makes one pause before dismissing it.
“Unsung Hero” offers a change of pace with a family drama based on the true story of Christian pop music artists For King & Country and Rebecca St. James. This is sure to be an inspirational tale and is co-written and co-directed by Joel Smallbone, who is a member of the family this film is about. So, authenticity shouldn’t be an issue but inexperience making a feature length film could be. At least this will be one of the only PG rated films to come out this month that will be suitable for the whole family.
