“Normal”
Bob Odenkirk continues his action star era with “Normal.” Based on a story by Odenkirk and screenwriter Derek Kolstad, the film is directed by Ben Wheatley. It follows a man who becomes the temporary sheriff, only for a bank robbery to lead him to the criminal underpinnings of the quiet town. Henry Winkler and Lena Headey also star.
Release Date: In theaters April 17 via Magnolia Pictures.
“Blue Heron”
Following critical acclaim at multiple film festivals, the debut feature film from filmmaker Sophy Romavari, “Blue Heron,” makes its theatrical debut. A semi-autobiographical story, the film is inspired by Romavari’s childhood. It follows an eight-year-old girl who must relocate with her family to Vancouver Island, starring Eylul Guven, Edik Beddoes, Ádám Tompa, and Iringó Réti.
Release Date: In theaters April 17 via Janus Films.
“Mile End Kicks”
Barbie Ferreira trades out horror for romantic comedies in writer and director Chandler Levack’s “Mile End Kicks.” The story follows a young woman who, while writing a book about Alanis Morissette, becomes romantically entangled with two members of an aspiring indie rock band. Devon Bostick, Stanley Simons, Jay Baruchel, Juliette Gariépy, Robert Naylor, Emily Lê, Hasani Freeman, Magi Merlin, and Isaiah Lehtinen also star.
Release Date: In theaters April 17 via Sumerian Pictures.
“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy”
Following his reinterpretation of the “Evil Dead” franchise, director Lee Cronin is now reimagining “The Mummy.” Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, and Verónica Falcón star in the film, which follows the disappearance of a young girl who reappears eight years later. However, what should be a family reunion shifts into something much more terrifying.
Release Date: In theaters April 17 via Warner Bros. Pictures.
“Over Your Dead Body”
Jason Segel and Samara Weaving star as a couple on a vacation in the latest from director Jorma Taccone, following his last feature, the 2016 “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.” Written by Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, the film is an English-language remake of the 2021 “The Trip” and follows the couple as they both try to kill the other. Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine, Timothy Olyphant, and Juliette Lewis also star.
Release Date: In theaters April 24 via Independent Film Company.
“Fuze”
Director David Mackenzie (“Hell or High Water,” “Outlaw King”) and writer Ben Hopkins team for the London-set heist thriller “Fuze.” Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Worthington, Saffron Hocking, and Honor Swinton Byrne, the film follows the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb at a busy construction site, triggering a mass evacuation that becomes cover for a meticulously planned robbery.
Release Date: In theaters April 24 via Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
“Michael”
Director Antoine Fuqua (“The Equalizer” franchise) and writer John Logan (“They/Them,” “Alien: Covenant”) look to bring the legacy of pop icon Michael Jackson to life in the biopic, “Michael.” Starring Jaafar Jackson in his film debut, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo, the film traces his life through his origins as part of the Jackson 5 to the early stages of his solo career.
Release Date: In theaters April 24 via Lionsgate.
Honorable Mentions: There’s plenty more in April, first with the Silver Bear winner “Living the Land,” which won best director at the Berlin Film Festival, out April 3. Fans of Saturday Night Live will get the chance to get another look behind the curtain with the documentary “Lorne,” out on April 17.
For some smaller but just as noteworthy releases, there’s the autobiographical and BAFTA-nominated “I Swear” starring BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo, out on April 24. John Magaro stars as a father who, following a tragedy, takes his two daughters on a cross-country trip in “Omaha.” For streaming options, there’s the comedy “Balls Up” directed by Peter Farrelly and starring Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser, out April 15 on Prime Video, and the survival thriller, “Apex” starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, available on Netflix April 24.
New England-based Tomatometer-approved film and television critic. Ally is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, and the Online Film Critics Society. Her writing has also appeared at RogerEbert.com and The Mary Sue.
