It’s been an interesting year for cinema thus far, and that won’t be slowing down in April.
There’s Leonor Will Never Die (7 April) – a meta love letter to Filipino cinema, led by the marvellous Sheila Francisco – and also LOLA (7 April), a Second World War time travel drama whose low budget shows that you can do impressive things with very little. Albert Serra’s Pacifiction (21 April) is an intoxicating descent into danger and, as with the Spanish filmmaker’s previous films, it may be divisive, but demands to be seen – even if just to form your own opinion.
Ben Affleck directs and stars in Air (7 April), which follows Nike’s revolutionary partnership with a young Michael Jordan. Affleck’s receiving some of the best reviews of his career for the film. Meanwhile, grisly horror Evil Dead Rise (21 April) has generated word-of-mouth hype since its premiere at South by Southwest. If the title didn’t already give it away, the latest film in the long-running franchise is not for the fainthearted.
This month will also provide you with the chance to see Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colours trilogy on the big screen, which is the very definition of a worthwhile venture. Each film will be released weekly from the start of the month.
While your interests might be piqued by the studo fare on offer, April wil not only unveil Chris Pratt’s take on Italian oplumber Mario, in Super Mario Bros (7 April), but Nicolas Cage’s version of Dracula in Renfield (14 April), too– should you peek below the surface, you’ll discover some gems.
Below are the five best films to watch in the cinema in April 2023.
Godland
Release date: 7 April
Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland should be considered one of the year’s greatest films when those “Best of...” lists roll in this December. It stars Elliott Crosset Hove as a Danish Lutheran priest named Lucas, who is sent on an expedition to oversee the completion of a new parish church in Iceland. There are stretches throughout Lucas’s journey where Pálmason captivatingly experiments with form, often chillingly accentuating the loneliness caused by the language barrier between him and his assigned Icelandic guide (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson). The result may test casual viewers’ faith, much like Lucas’s is tested by the harsh weather conditions he finds himself in – but this approach, combined with the breathtaking backdrop, makes Godland amount to something special that not only demands a big screen, but transcends it, too.
One Fine Morning
Release date: 14 April
Mia Hansen-Løve’s understated French drama Un Beau Matin, translated as One Fine Morning, showcases perhaps Léa Seydoux’s most impressive role to date. She plays Sandra, who starts an adulterous affair with an old friend (Melvil Poupaud) while going through a tough time in her life – namely, the deterioration of her father, who is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease. Hansen-Løve (Eden, Things to Come, last year’s brilliant Bergman Island) is so excellent at depicting the banalities of life in enchanting ways: the film, like Sandra, is relaxed on the surface, but is laced with a unsuspecting bite. There’s a thrill about seeing Seydoux, an immensely famous Hollywood star, in such an unshowy role – and even more of a thrill to be reminded just how talented she is.
Suzume
Release date: 14 April
Suzume is yet another enchanting animated addition to Japanese studio Toho’s back catalogue (see also: Wolf Children, Weathering for You). Its story centres on a high school girl and a mysterious young man, who is transformed into a chair (yes, you read that right) as they try to prevent a series of disasters across Japan. Makoto Shinkai, who directed the acclaimed Your Name, weaves emotion into the fantastical, and the result is a dazzling rollercoaster of a film.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Release date: 21 April
Let’s hear it for film editors. How to Blow Up a Pipeline, an adaptation of Andreas Malm's 2021 book of the same name, beats to a thrilling pulse that never relents thanks to Daniel Garber’s assemblage of shots; heart races will quicken, breath will be held. This is not your standard heist thriller. The film follows a group of environmental activists who attempt to to sabotage the development of an oil pipeline, and what could be stunted by arrogant performances from a crop of rising stars is instead enhanced by their effective portrayals (the highlights? Forrest Goodluck, Jayme Lawson and Lukas Gage). Director Daniel Goldhaber, delivering this after his intoxicating thriller CAM (2018), firmly positions his name as one to look out for.
Love According to Dalva
Release date: 28 April
The most moving film of the month is Belgian drama Love According to Dalva. The film mysteriously starts as a distressed 12-year-old is taken into foster care. Then, through the eyes of Dalva, the viewer slowly learns her story, with the film exploring a young girl’s abuse from the perspective of the abused. It’s an extraordinary debut from filmmaker Emmanuelle Nicot, who tells Dalva’s story with necessary tenderness, and this is heightened by an equally as extraordinary debut performance from Zelda Samson. Remember the name – if Dalva is anything to go by, this is the start of a long career for the child star.
