April 3
‘The Drama’
This black comedy-dramatic thriller hybrid stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya and events leading up to their pending wedding. During a booze-fueled truth or dare-ish game with friends, one of the soon-to-be betrothed admits to doing something the others consider to be abhorrent. This is the follow-up to writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s twisted surrealist 2023 satire “Dream Scenario,” starring Nicolas Cage. (A24)
April 10
‘The Christophers’
Details of this dark comedy are few, but here’s what we know. The adult children of a famous painter hire a forger (Michaela Coel) to finish some of his uncompleted works. Whether the painter is alive or dead is not known, which, I believe is not really the point. As it stars Ian McKellen as the painter and is directed by Steven Soderbergh, I’m reasonably sure it will be quite good. (Neon)
Jonah Hill co-wrote, co-produced, and co-stars in this black comedy, his third as a director. Keanu Reeves plays Reef Hawk, an actor who has been sober for five years. He’s contacted by his attorney (Hill), who informs him someone is threatening to release an incriminating video featuring Hawk. The impressive supporting cast includes Cameron Diaz, David Spade, Susan Lucci, and Martin Scorsese. (Apple TV)
April 17
‘Lorne’
Arriving on the heels of the superb “Paul McCartney: Man on the Run,” legendary documentarian Morgan Neville puts the spotlight on longtime “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels. Including interviews from Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Conan O’Brien, Maya Rudolph, and Andy Samberg, it will hopefully be a marked improvement on the similarly themed live action “Saturday Night” from 2024. (Focus)
April 24
‘Apex’
In what is essentially a two-handed action thriller, Charlize Theron plays a grieving woman testing her limits in the Australian wilderness. She is suddenly ensnared in a deadly game with a ruthless predator (Taron Egerton), looking to knock her down a peg or two. (Netflix)
Perhaps the most anticipated title of the year, this bio-drama about singer Michael Jackson arrives awash in controversy. Jackson’s daughter Paris has been vocal in her opposition on multiple fronts. This tells me one thing: it won’t be a rose-colored, too-safe, sanitized affair. Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson plays his uncle and Coleman Domingo co-stars as the domineering family patriarch Joe Jackson. (Lionsgate)
Robert Aramayo deservedly won the 2026 BAFTA award for his portrayal of John Davidson, a Scottish man who prompted research into the understanding of Tourette syndrome. In the early 1980s, the pre-teen Davidson started exhibiting signs of a then unknown ailment, a neurological disorder that results in unexplained physical tics and bursts of uncontrollable profanity and rueful slurs. (Sony Classics)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Sam Worthington star in this action crime thriller directed by David Mackenzie (“Hell or High Water”). During a construction project in London, an unexploded WWII-era bomb is found. While authorities try to defuse the weapon and evacuate the city in a safe, timely manner, a conspicuously timed robbery goes down. (Roadside Attractions)
What to Look for
As was the case in both February and March, I’m most looking forward to two titles being released on the same day. For this month, it’s the 24th.The fact that Jermaine Jackson’s son Jafaar plays his own uncle in “Michael” appears to be nepotism and perhaps questionable. That Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris has voiced issues with the content leads me to think the end product might be relatively even-handed.
Had Sony screened “I Swear” to U.S. critics prior to the year-end voting deadline in November, I would easily have picked Robert Aramayo as my choice for Best Lead Actor.
