“The Rider”
Cast: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lane Scott
Synopsis: After suffering a near-fatal head injury, a young cowboy undertakes a search for new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.
What You Need To Know: In 2016, Chloé Zhao released “Songs My Brother Taught Me” a meditative and introspective look at family ties, poverty and the marginalized existences of those living on the fringes. It may not have built a tremendous audience, but her talent was undeniable and made the anticipation for her next film all the more pronounced. Once again she’s taking on a naturalistic story as she tells the real story of leading man Brady Jandreau by taking us on an intimate journey about discovering what it means to be a young man in today’s world and the trauma that follows you when you’re stripped of the what you believed was your identity. Utilizing traditional western motifs with a modern twist, our critic called it “an entrancing, deeply moving effort, one that is certain to steal the hearts of audiences on its wider release.”
Release Date: April 13th
“Come Sunday”
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jason Segel, Lakeith Stanfield
Synopsis: Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.
What You Need To Know: With the continued discourse over Netflix continuing in a negative direction as both Steven Spielberg and the Cannes Festival taking shots over if they’re “real movies” or not, films such as “Come Sunday” take the stage quietly and with some built-in doubt. Debuting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, it failed to make waves but the noise surrounding Chiwetel Ejiofor’s performance is worth noting. With a unifying message about tolerance and empathy, “Come Sunday” may not be this year’s “Mudbound” in terms of sheer, artistic excellence on the streaming platform, but it certainly will deserve your time more than something like “Bright.”
Release Date: April 13th
“I Feel Pretty”
Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Busy Phillips
Synopsis: A woman struggling with insecurity wakes from a fall believing she is the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet. Her new confidence empowers her to live fearlessly, but what happens when she realizes her appearance never changed?
What You Need To Know: Prior to its release, Amy Schumer’s latest foray onto the big screen has already locked in its own controversy, with many women finding the storyline insulting. While much of Schumer’s schtick has been to make fun of her body in comparison to many other starlets in Hollywood, she’s hardly overweight and certainly standardly attractive. While the complaints are hardly invalid, it is somewhat jumping the gun considering the entire premise of the film involves a young woman (Schumer) learning to love herself. That being said, apart from the controversy, Schumer’s filmography so far has been either surprisingly enjoyable (“Trainwreck”) or flat-out wretched (“Snatched”). Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, screenwriters for “How to Be Single,” “The Vow” and “Never Been Kissed,” this will be their feature-length directorial debut. Perhaps it will be the perfect marriage of tones, regardless, it will be a conversation starter.
Release Date: April 20th
“Psychokinesis”
Cast: Ryu Seung-ryong, Shim Eun-kyung, Park Jung-min
Synopsis: A father sets out to save his troubled daughter with superpowers that he discovers he possesses.
What You Need To Know: In 2016, director Yeon Sang-ho’s inventive and deceptively moving zombie movie “Train to Busan” established himself as a serious genre director to a much larger audience, meaning his latest was always going to inspire some anticipation. Having been picked up Netflix, the film once again sees the director tackling specificity in genre filmmaking as he merges comedy, familiar drama and the supernatural into one story. The science fiction genre is one that’s rife with possibility when it comes to new manners of structure and with an exuberant voice such as Sang-ho’s behind it, it makes any product of his a must see.
Release Date: April 25th
