Mid-April is here, and as we fully recover from the food and sugar-induced comas of Easter weekend, we have a fresh batch of theatrical releases to look forward to. Admittedly, our offerings are slightly less varied this time, withhorror and animationmaking up most of our high-profile releases. That’s not to say that humor and drama can’t be found in equal abundance, however. In fact, this weekend will be perfect for those looking for something a little different, whether it’s an unconventional studio release, charming independent productions, or stunningly beautiful animated efforts.
Vampires, talking frogs, interdimensional doors, and bombastic exorcists are all here and accounted for. Without further delay, these are some of our picks for the best movies to watch this weekend.
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story (Apr. 13)
John Lennon is a lot of things to a lot of people. Whether you see him as a creative genius, a terrible person, or a little of both, there was a point when he separated from Yoko Ono for 18 months. It was a period of time he later dubbed “the lost weekend.” During this period, Lennon would strike up a brief relationship with a woman by the name of May Pang.
The Lost Weekend: A Love Storyis a documentary about May Pang’s life, from her childhood in the United States as a daughter of Chinese immigrants all the way up through her short-lived relationship with Lennon. Featuringunseen archival footage, rare home recordings, and interviews with several prolific members of the music industry, it’ll be an intriguing look into Pang’s own life as well as Lennon’s from her perspective.
Suzume (Apr. 14)
A huge success at the Japanese box office, an official English dub ofSuzumewill be hitting theaters this weekend. The director ofYour NameandWeathering With Youreturns with a storyinspired by real-life tragedy, trauma, and how to ultimately come to terms with both as time goes on. Our title character, in an effort to prevent a nationwide calamity, travels across the world with a mysterious stranger to shut a series of disaster-causing doors.
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Director Makoto Shinkai has become synonymous with some of the most breathtaking animated films in memory. As both visual powerhouses and heart-wrenching dramas, his films have received critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success.Suzumepromises to deliver more of the same as it makes its Western theatrical debut. Just be sure to have a tissue box ready.
Renfield (Apr. 14)
In Nicolas Cage’s quest to be in just aboutevery movie you’re able to imagine, he takes on a particularly unique role in Chris McKay’sRenfield. As we follow the titular R.M. Renfield around modern-day New Orleans, his work-life balance is thrown out of whack when he falls in love with an everyday traffic cop. What does he do for a living, you may ask? Well, he’s the personal servant and confidant for the ancient vampire Dracula, played by none other than Nicolas Cage.
Based on a pitch by Robert Kirkman, it’ll be similar to Universal’sInvisible Manreboot that reinvented the character for modern audiences. WhereasInvisible Manwas meant to be utterly terrifying, however,Renfieldwill instead take more direct inspiration from FX’sWhat We Do in the Shadowsin being a lighthearted comedy.
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (Apr. 14)
Heavily inspired by Quentin Tarantinofilms,Once Upon a Time in Ukrainepromises to be a fun alternate-history popcorn film made in the eponymous country. The film follows a simple premise: what if renowned Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko dropped his pen in favor of a samurai sword? Upon encountering Akayo, a samurai, the two go on a path of destruction to retrieve stolen family property – and Taras' partner – from a Ukrainian slaver.
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The film wears its influences on its sleeves. Film grain, ultra-violence, and an overwhelming sense of “coolness” emanates from its promotional material. If you don’t believe us still, the film even goes by an alternative title:Inglorious Serfs. Even if it may be a little on the nose,Once Upon a Time in Ukrainepromises to be a fantastic action film to see this weekend, with the added benefit of supporting those currently suffering in the ongoing war.
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (Apr. 14)
Based on a collection of short stories originally written by Huraki Murakami (Drive My Car,Burning), this animated outing is a co-production between four countries. It will primarily focus on a bank employee interacting with a sentient, anthropomorphic frog to prevent a deadly disaster from striking Tokyo. Along the way, we’ll see how this journey affects an accountant suffering from schizophrenia, the employee’s wife, and a lonely cat.
Utilizing an entire film’s worth of “reference” footage,Blind Willow, Sleeping Womanrecreates the cast’s performance in a charming 3D stop-motion style along with traditional 2D animation. Murakami’s previous efforts have been flawlessly transferred to the big screen, leaving us to believe that this slightly-more surreal story will hit audiences just as hard.If anything, it’ll be a visual treat at the very least.
The Pope’s Exorcist (Apr. 14)
From the director of the Nazi zombie flickOverlordcomesThe Pope’s Exorcist, a film loosely based on the real-life ofprolific exorcist Gabriele Amorth. With Russell Crowe playing the role of Amorth, we’ll follow him as a simple exorcism unveils a massive conspiracy that the Vatican has kept under wraps for centuries. Differing from other “exorcism” movies, it appears to put more of an emphasis on the goings-on of the organization instead of just dispelling demons.
Despite some mixed critical reception towardsThe Pope’s Exorcist, there’s a commonality between negative and positive reviews: Russell Crowe’s performance. Whether you call it being passionate or absolutely hamming it up, Crowe will certainly entertain even if the surrounding film’s scares aren’t up to snuff. Plenty of horror movies are magnificently entertaining for reasons other than their visceral thrills, andThe Pope’s Exorcistlooks to be no exception.
