“The Fate Of The Furious”
Synopsis: When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
What You Need To Know: The eighth entry in the mind-bogglingly popular franchise that just keeps on getting bigger screened for select critics at CinemaCon last week, and reactions have been effusive in all the right and, frankly, expected ways. In short, people think it’s still good, dumb fun and that’s plenty to make this one, directed by F. Gary Gray (“Straight Outta Compton,” “The Italian Job“) another massive hit for Universal. In addition to all the usual suspects in the ‘Furious’ franchise, there’s a few new additions that should up the badass female factor, not least of which, a big baddie performance from Charlize Theron, and the presence of none other than Helen Mirren. I for one have never understood the overwhelming affection for these movies, but I’m in the minority and, well, what the hell, enjoy yourselves folks!
Release Date: April 14th
“The Lost City Of Z”
Synopsis: A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.
What You Need To Know: For those who’ve frequented this site for a while, it’s of little to no surprise that we are big fans of James Gray in these parts. His work with actors, classical filmmaking style and his particular take on well-trod genre tropes are often something to behold. When we saw the premiere at last year’s NYFF, the response was muted but still positive: “[It] won’t be for all viewers, but its delicate devotion to itself is something sure to inspire admiration and obsessives.” Comparisons to “The Age of Innocence,” “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” and last year’s excellent “Embrace of the Serpent” have been thrown out there, and that’s surprising given Gray’s previous output. Also worth mentioning the high praise for the visuals (“beautifully rendered on 35mm celluloid, cinematographer Darius Khonji may be the movie’s MVP”). Adventure and obsession make for strong cinematic bedfellows, so I’m excited for this one.
Release Date: 14th (Limited)
“Free Fire”
Synopsis: Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.
What You Need To Know: Ben Wheatley‘s previous effort, “High Rise,” his most ambitious and expensive film to date (and the first adaptation for him and his co-screenwriter/wife, Amy Jump), divided many of us here at The Playlist. Some found its messiness purposeful and its political commentary rife with meaning, while others (including me) just found it tiresome. Wheatley being the prolific filmmaker he is, his latest, “Free Fire,” has already made the fest rounds last year and is now ready to come tear up theaters. It does look like a blast. Essentially, the movie is one large, self-contained gun fight, and that’s just fine by me. Some of the best, most thrilling action films of late have relied on a simple, sparsely-plotted story and minimal characters to present pretty much non-stop action and thrills (“The Raid: Redemption,” “Gravity” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” all come to mind), so here’s hoping “Free Fire” can at least aspire to those great heights. When we caught the film at TIFF last year we declared it a “joyous blast of B-movie mayhem.” Hell yes.
Release Date: April 21st
“The Circle”
Synopsis: A woman lands a dream job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, only to uncover a nefarious agenda that will affect the lives of her friends, family and that of humanity.
What You Need To Know: Based on the book of the same name by Dave Eggers (who also co-wrote the script) and directed by Playlist favorite James Ponsoldt (“The End of the Tour“), this tech thriller/morality tale is nothing if not totally buzzy and of-the-moment. Much as it looks like a solid piece of work (and with Tom Hanks potentially playing a smarmy bad guy, long overdue) it’s worth noting how poorly these types of films age. Built on a foundation of our modern predilection/obsession with public oversharing, and starring Belle herself, Emma Watson, Ellar Coltrane (“Boyhood“), John Boyega and Bill Paxton in one of his last roles ever, the story follows Watson, newly hired at a leading Google-esque tech firm that pushes for full transparency, as she goes from faithful employee to highly suspicious of the company’s motives.
Release Date: April 28th
“Sleight”
Synopsis: After his mother’s death, a young street magician turns to dealing drugs at parties to support his little sister. When she is kidnapped by his supplier, he uses his sleight of hand and keen intelligence to find her.
What You Need To Know: Most moviegoers need only know that the the film has been described as “Iron Man” meets “Chronicle.” When we saw it at Sundance last year, our critic found much to enjoy while also drumming up comparisons to Christopher Nolan‘s twisty magician thriller “The Prestige“: “While ‘Sleight’ is ultimately a much smaller, less impressive beast, it still has plenty of intrigue and allure. Chameleonic and bold, the dramatic thriller is a unique blend of styles and ideas — that one-of-a-kind spot where L.A. street magic, legerdemain, science fiction, romance, drug dealing gang bangers, and limited socio-economic opportunities intersect.” That sounds like an intriguing blend, so consider us sold.
Release Date: April 28th (Limited)
Honorable Mention:
“Gifted” is the latest from Marc Webb, who went from the breakout “(500) Days of Summer” in 2009, and made the immediate jump to huge tentpole studio filmmaking with the misbegotten “The Amazing Spider-Man” and its really awful sequel. Good, then, to see him venturing back into smaller story territory, with this film starring Chris Evans as a man left to care for his young niece, a child prodigy, and then gets into a legal battle over who will raise her.
On the doc side of films this month, there’s the charming “Obit,” about the New York Times obituary section writers and editors. “Alive and Kicking” gives an insider view of swing dancing while also tying its story to issues in modern society. Food doc “Jeremiah Tower” is another entry in the endlessly watchable world of food stories in visual mediums while a kind of biopic on the titular man and his rise as a celebrity chef. Disney Nature‘s “Born In China” follows panda bears. Aww, cute.
“Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” stars Richard Gere and we saw at Telluride last year, where we said “Joseph Cedar’s follow up to 2011’s critically acclaimed drama ‘Footnote‘ is one of those movies where you see where it’s going pretty much the entire time… [but his] smart dialogue and direction lift [the film] above expectations.
In “The Ticket,” starring Dan Stevens (“Legion“), a blind man regains his vision but then ironically becomes blinded to his obsession with superficial things. “A Quiet Passion” is the latest from Terence Davies (“The Deep Blue Sea,” “Sunset Song”). It stars Cynthia Nixon as poet Emily Dickinson in a biopic that follows her school days to her later years as a reclusive artist. “Salt and Fire” is the latest Werner Herzog joint, starring Michael Shannon and also involving a volcano, which Herzog just can’t get enough of.
A few more random bits come from all over and some have genre elements to them. Vampire lore is a theme in the indie “The Transfiguration.” Walter Hill made some waves last year at TIFF for his controversial trans action thriller “The Assignment.” “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki” is a true life tale about a rather famous boxer from Finland, and it won Un Certain Regard at Cannes last year. Argentine star Ricardo Darin takes the lead in “Truman.”