Following the 97th Academy Awards last month, the more prestigious films of 2024 have finally ended their theatrical runs. This puts us in the slightly treacherous period where cinemas can be pretty empty, that is until the heavy-hitting summer blockbusters start to hit screens in a couple months time.
While there are is only a limited selection of notable releases this coming April, there is still enough on offer to appeal to moviegoers of all ages, starting off with the cinematic adaptation of the video game phenomenon “Minecraft”. There was public outcry from the vast fanbase for the record-breaking sandbox title following the release of the movie’s teaser trailer a few months ago, so it will be interesting to see Warner Bros. and “Napoleon Dynamite” director Jared Hess manage to achieve with it.
Another video game adaptation, albeit a loose one, coming to theatres in April is “Until Dawn”. I was a huge fan of the decision based survival horror game following its release back in 2015, but this big screen adaptation has also faced early criticism as its trailer barely resembles the snowy location and characters associated with the game.
April is looking to be a busy month for the action and horror genres, with films such as “Death of a Unicorn”, “Drop”, “The Accountant 2”, “The Amateur”, “Sinners” and fact-based Iraq war film “Warfare”, all accompanying “Until Dawn” in cinemas next month, with Prime Video also releasing two action flicks straight to streaming – “G20” starring Oscar-winner Viola Davis, and “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera”, which sees Gerard Butler reprise his role from the first film.
Which April release are you most excited for?
A Minecraft Movie (PG)
Dir: Jared Hess
Cast: Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen
Synopsis: A mysterious portal pulls four misfits into the Overworld, a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master the terrain while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected crafter named Steve.
Death of a Unicorn (15)
Dir: Alex Scharfman
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Tea Leoni, Richard E. Grant
Synopsis: When a man and his daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn with their car, his boss tries to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties — with horrific results.
G20 (TBC)
Dir: Patricia Riggen
Cast: Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramon Rodriguez, Anthony Starr, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Clark Gregg
Synopsis: Terrorists take over the G20 summit with President Sutton, bringing her governing and military experience to defend her family, company, and the world.
The Amateur (12A)
Dir: James Hawes
Cast: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, Laurence Fishburne
Synopsis: Charlie Heller is a brilliant CIA decoder whose world comes crashing down when his wife dies in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, his intelligence becomes the ultimate weapon as he embarks on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible.
Drop (15)
Dir: Christopher Landon
Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Ben Pelletier, Gabrielle Ryan, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, Travis Nelson
Synopsis: Violet is a widowed mother who goes to an upscale restaurant to meet Henry, her charming and handsome date. However, her pleasant evening soon turns into a living nightmare when she receives phone messages from a mysterious, hooded figure who threatens to kill her young son and sister unless she kills Henry.
Sinners (15)
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Li,
Synopsis: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Warfare (15)
Dir: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland
Cast: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henry Zaga, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton
Synopsis: A surveillance mission goes wrong for a platoon of American Navy SEALs in insurgent territory in Iraq.
The Penguin Lessons (12A)
Dir: Peter Cattaneo
Cast: Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce
Synopsis: An Englishman experiences personal and political changes after adopting a penguin during a turbulent time in Argentina’s history.
The Accountant 2 (15)
Dir: Gavin O’Connor
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, J. K. Simmons
Synopsis: Forensic accountant Christian Wolff teams up with his estranged but highly lethal brother to track down mysterious assassins.
Until Dawn (TBC)
Dir: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, Peter Stormare
Synopsis: One year after her sister disappeared, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they soon encounter a masked killer who murders them one by one. However, when they mysteriously wake up at the beginning of the same night, they’re forced to relive the terror over and over again.
The Legend of Ochi (12A)
Dir: Isaiah Saxon
Cast: Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe
Synopsis: A young girl learns to never go outside after dark because of reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. However, when a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (15)
Dir: Christian Gudegast
Cast: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, Swen Temmel
Synopsis: Levon Cade left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life of working construction. However, when human traffickers kidnap his boss’s daughter, his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption far greater than he ever could have imagined.
Dan Loves Film 
My wife is having the cast of “Minecraft” on her show today, so I got to watch an advance screening…if you are a fan of the game you’ll love the film, and Jason Mamoa continues to impress me with his willingness to be a big goofball in the best way…he has the confidence and swagger to have some fun with himself and I loved him for it! “The Accountant” was a surprise hit, and a very enjoyable movie, so I hope they did right by the sequel!
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Interesting. Great that you got to see it early, ive never got into the game despite being a bit of a gamer but will be interested to see what they do with it
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Likeee👍
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