11 must-watch films coming this April

On our watch list: an A24 war film, the late Angus Cloud’s final flick, and a sexy Zendaya smash that’s acing critics everywhere

2024, so far, has been a treat for filmgoers everywhere. Just in the first half of the year, we’ve been gifted titles such as the early “movie of the year” contender “Dune: Part Two,” the surprise blockbuster hit “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” and Liza Soberano’s Hollywood debut,  “Lisa Frankenstein.” 

And yet, the year still has much in store for us with the highly anticipated screenings of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Wicked,” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Till then, here are more films to watch out for this April.

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“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” – Apr. 10

The latest in the iconic franchise and follow-up to 2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” has Paul Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson and the rest of the Spengler family team up with the original Ghostbusters to fight against “an army of ghosts that casts a death chill upon the city.”

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is directed by Gil Kenan. The cast includes Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts.

“SUGA | Agust D TOUR D-DAY THE MOVIE” – Apr. 10

Missed his world tour? This April, catch performances and behind-the-scenes footage from Suga’s alter ego Agust D, and special stages featuring fellow band members RM, Jimin, and Jung Kook. With albums and singles coming left and right, and now a concert movie to boot, it’s as if BTS weren’t in military service at all.

“Civil War” – Apr. 10

The United States of America comes undone in A24’s “Civil War.” The upcoming film features the country’s 50 states divided into several factions in an all-out war where simply being American isn’t enough—but “what kind of an American” you are.

“Civil War” is written and directed by Alex Garland and stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny. 

“Strange Way of Life” – Apr. 12 (on Netflix)

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, this 30-minute short stars Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal in a Western gunslinger-meets-queer love story flick. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival last year and will come to Netflix this April.

According to Almodóvar in a Variety interview, “Strange Way of Life” takes a lot of the elements you would expect from the genre, but “what it has that most Westerns don’t have is the kind of dialogue that I don’t think a Western film has ever captured between two men.”

“YOLO” – Apr. 17

Chinese box office sensation “YOLO” is set to hit Philippine theaters this April. The film follows Le Ying (Jia Ling), who, after graduating and working for a while, chooses to withdraw from society to “reconcile” with herself. Eventually, she meets boxing coach Hao Kun (Lei Jia-Yin), marking the beginning of a renewed lease on life.

“YOLO” is also directed by Jia Ling and stars Zhang Xiaofei, Sha Yi, Zhao Haiyan, Zhang Qi, Xu Juncong, Bu Yu, Zhu Tianfu, and Liu Honglu.

“Abigail” – Apr. 17

A helpless child isn’t locked in with you, you’re locked in with a ballerina vampire. Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and Kathryn Newton star in this kidnap-for-ransom gone wrong where “children can be such monsters”—literally and figuratively.

“Abigail” is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by Stephen Shields. The film’s cast includes William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Alisha Weir, and the late Angus Cloud.

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” – Apr. 17

Guy Ritchie and Henry Cavill once again join forces, this time, to explore the world’s first special forces mission in history—featuring an unlikely yet skilled and mad group of individuals carrying the fate of England on their shoulders. 

The film is based on the book “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth To Modern Black Ops,” which is about the true story of a secret WWII organization founded by Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming.

The cast includes Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusanmokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, with Henry Golding, and Cary Elwes.

“Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scavenger” – Apr. 19 (on Netflix)

Zack Snyder’s follow-up to “A Child of Fire,” “Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scavenger” continues “the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors” as they join forces with Veldt in the ongoing battle against the Motherworld.

“Anyone but You” – Apr. 23 (on Netflix)

Missed the January theater release? Luckily, the season’s hottest rom-com is set to arrive on Netflix this April. Get ready for more Sydney Sweeney—and we surely need a lighthearted one—after her stunning yet haunting performance in “Immaculate.”

“Challengers” – Apr. 24

From the mind of “Call Me By Your Name” director Luca Guadagnino, “Challengers” has Zendaya, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, caught in a love triangle between two former best friends, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor. 

When Faist and O’Connor’s characters are set to face each other on the court, their intertwined pasts begin to reveal themselves, and “Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.”

“The Holdovers” – Apr. 29  (on Prime Video)

This film received five nominations at the recent Academy Awards—with Da’Vine Joy Randolph winning Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

“The Holdovers” follows a disliked professor who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break. Stuck with nowhere to go, he eventually forms an unlikely bond with a troublemaker and the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam.

The Oscars standout is directed by Alexander Payne and stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Randolph.

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