Spring is here and with it comes a host of movies aimed right down the middle of the plate in terms of entertainment, broad appeal, and being a conduit into the coveted Summer movie season. It’s an unpredictable time of year filled with many surprises and disappointments but it’s rare that a year goes by where one of these films doesn’t steal the thunder from the movies everyone expects to be the big deal. This is a glorious time of year and here’s what to expect from March and April:
This is a glorious time of year and here’s what to expect from March and April:
March 11th
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Premise: A mystery wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a fortune cookie wrapped inside a bomb shelter.
Selling Points:
- The Cloverfield name we love.
- John Goodman. Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
- The unknown.
Danger Zones:
- It could all be hot air.
- If it’s just humans, will be care?
- There’s rumors it’s been squeezed into the Cloverfield name.
The Brothers Grimsby
The Premise: Sascha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong play brothers who are reunited right in the middle of a conspiracy.
Selling Points:
- The cast is perfect.
- They filmed it as a legit action flick.
- Sasha Baron Cohen is a genius.
Danger Zones:
- Will the blend of action and comedy dampen both?
- Will a brand new IP work?
- Is it too British?
March 18th
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
The Premise: The middle-tier YA series is back!
Selling Points:
- Jeff Daniels is always worth a ticket.
- Holographic visual effects look clean.
- Easily accessible Sci-Fi for all teens.
Danger Zones:
- This setup is overused at this point.
- Too much greenscreen could overwhelm.
- Divergent needs better word of mouth.
Midnight Special
The Premise: A boy with potentially special powers is protected by his father from enemies seen and unseen.
Selling Points:
- Michael Shannon plays the lead role, which is usually enough to get me to buy a ticket.
- The rest of the cast includes Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, Sam Shepard, and Sean Bridgers.
- Jeff Nichols, director of Take Shelter and Mud.
Danger Zones:
- The film’s smaller sci-fi story could deter viewers looking for a blockbuster.
- A lot rests on a child actor (Jaeden Lieberher), and we know how that goes.
- If the trailer is any indication, anyone who’s suffering from lens flare overexposure may want to skip it.
The Program
The Premise: The Lance Armstrong story, warts and all.
Selling Points:
- Excellent cast of top performers.
- Well cut and entertaining trailer.
- Stephen Frears behind the camera.
Danger Zones:
- Lance Armstrong may be a turn off.
- Oversaturated past press coverage.
- Does anyone really care about it?
The Little Prince
The Premise: A stop-motion adaptation of the beloved novella.
Selling Points:
- Directed by Mark Osborne!
- Story of childhood discovery.
- Encourages use of imagination.
- Unique mix of animation styles.
- Classic tale on the big screen.
- Jeff Bridges as wise old mentor.
Danger Zones:
- Very little, this could be good.
March 25th
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The Premise: Zack Snyder unleashes a superhero epic and hope to launch a Justice League franchise.
Selling Points:
- First big screen meeting of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.
- The real kickoff to the DC Extended Universe.
- Batfleck is the most comics-accurate looking Batman ever.
Danger Zones:
- Trailers have had a hard time selling the tone of this thing. Is it going to be too grim?
- Man of Steel.
- DC is trying to reverse engineer their own.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
The Premise: The biggest franchise about big fat Greek weddings is back!
Selling Points:
- The first film has a lot of fans.
- Very little CGI.
- Safe date flick.
Danger Zones:
- The first film is still My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
- It’s been a long time since people thought of this “franchise”.
I Saw the Light
The Premise: Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams? Sold.
Selling Points:
- One of our best actors playing a role no one expected.
- Elizabeth Olsen? Perfect!
- A great story that is supremely cinematic.
Danger Zones:
- Some bipics just don’t work.
- Marc Abraham as a director isn’t a sure thing.
- There’s always fear of a sappy execution.
The Invitation
The Premise: A mysterious indie horror film boasting some true pedigree.
Selling Points:
- Karyn Kusama, director of Jennifer’s Body, is back!
- Carried by a wave of great festival screenings
- The film’s pressure cooker drama looks fascinating and mysterious
Danger Zones:
- Karyn Kusama, director of Aeon Flux, is back.
- The marketing has been so obtuse that audiences might not engage with it
- Like other hipster horror darlings, the early hype may fall flat for some viewers
April 1st
Amityville: The Awakening
The Premise: The franchise that will never die comes back with a vengeance.
Selling Points:
- Gotham‘s Cameron Monaghan and The Hateful Eight‘s Jennifer Jason Leigh.
- Written and directed by Franck Khalfoun, who did remakes right with his minor masterpiece Maniac.
- Can’t be as bad as the Ryan Reynolds one, right?
Danger Zones:
- It’s an Amityville movie. The only other franchise with this many misses is The Howling.
- This movie has been sitting on a shelf for over a year, and they’ve had to do reshoots recently.
- Seriously, it’s an Amityville movie. This is a series that features possessed mirrors, clocks, dollhouses, and lamps. LAMPS.
Meet the Blacks
The Premise: An African-American family moves in as the Purge happens.
Selling Points:
- An African-American family moves in as the Purge happens.
Danger Zones:
- An African-American family moves in as the Purge happens.
Green Room
The Premise: Jeremy Saulnier, one of the freshest new voices in filmmaking, is back!
Selling Points:
- Patrick Stewart playing the bad guy.
- Director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin).
- Strong premise that feels dangerous.
Danger Zones:
- The cast needs to bring their A-game.
- Could be disappointing/underwhelming.
- Must be a strong thriller to be good.
Miles Ahead
The Premise: Don Cheadle’s passion project about Miles Davis hits theaters after a run on the festival circuit.
Selling Points:
- Is Don Cheadle as good a director as he is an actor?
- Miles Davis had a remarkable life that will make for great drama.
- Ewan McGregor looks like a lot of fun here.
Danger Zones:
- What if Don Cheadle isn’t a good director?
- If this isn’t solid it may spell the end of Miles’ story onscreen.
April 8th
The Boss
The Premise: Melissa McCarthy does what she does best.
Selling Points:
- Plenty of dirty jokes and foul humor.
- Fearless and anti-politically correct.
- Could be a School of Rock style hit.
Danger Zones:
- You can’t outdo The Bad News Bears.
- Melissa McCarthy’s weak reputation.
- Cringeworthy jokes and cheap laughs.
Demolition
The Premise: Jake Gyllenhaal stars it yet another potentially powerful independent film.
Selling Points:
- From the Dallas Buyers Club team.
- Guaranteed Gyllenhaal freak out.
- Could be unintentionally funny.
Danger Zones:
- “Quirky Indie Drama: The Movie”.
- Jake Gyllenhaal’s track record.
- Already poor reception/reviews.
Hardcore Henry
The Premise: A first-person movie from a filmmaker who is electrifying.
Selling Points:
- Unique action spectacle thanks to the POV gimmick.
- Looks like unbridled fun, something audiences are craving thanks to Deadpool.
- Sharlto Copley is always worth watching.
Danger Zones:
- POV gimmick could get stale really quick.
- Story looks incredibly thin and flimsy.
- Might make you just want to play a video game instead.
April 15th
The Jungle Book
The Premise: Jon Favreau puts all his eggs into the Disney basket.
Selling Points:
- Of all the animated films being adapted to live action, is easily the most stunning.
- The voice cast is aces. Bill Murray as Baloo? We are sold.
- He hasn’t shown it in awhile but Jon Favreau can compose some epic action and adventure.
Danger Zones:
- This is a story we are very familiar with. Will a live action version of an age old story be a bore?
- There is something weird about seeing very realistic-looking animals with human voices. It’s a bit jarring. How many of us will be creeped out by seeing a talking bear, even if it’s Bill Murray’s voice?
- If this is a huge hit does it mean Disney will give us a Jungle Book cinematic universe? Oh boy.
Barbershop: The Next Cut
The Premise: Any unanswered questions from the first two Barbershop movies will finally be answered.
Selling Points:
- Ice Cube, Common, and Cedric the Entertainer together!
- The first two movies are beloved.
- Equal fun for men and women.
Danger Zones:
- If the first two films didn’t appeal to you this won’t change things.
- Is three films too many?
Everybody Wants Some
The Premise: Richard Linklater returns to his Dazed and Confused roots.
Selling Points:
- Richard Linklater did the 70’s perfectly, the 80’s should be more of the same.
- When Richard Linklater unleashes a cast of unknowns they become superstars.
- Van Halen will reach a new group of youngsters.
Danger Zones:
- A mostly unknown cast.
- Nostalgia is always a toss-up for younger fans unfamiliar with the era.
Criminal
The Premise: Kevin Costner tries his hand at the “unstoppable killing machine” subgenre.
Selling Points:
- Super soldier Kevin Costner.
- Gary Oldman is always a draw.
- Great supporting cast overall.
Danger Zones:
- Could be a Jason Bourne ripoff.
- Needs to be exciting/engaging.
- Possibly too sappy & dramatic.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
The Premise: This is a rare sequel that has every opportunity to outdo the original, taking Snow White and the Huntsman into bold new territory.
Selling Points:
- Chris Hemsworth is alway reliable.
- Charlize Theron is always reliable.
- It looks beautiful.
- Kristen Stewart was downer.
Danger Zones:
- Do people care?
- It’s a crowded year for this kind of movie.
Keanu
The Premise: Key and Peele finally get to the big screen in a vulgar yet cute film.
Selling Points:
- It’s about time Key and Peele got their own movie. We are ready. America is ready.
- A comedy centered around an adorable kitty cat? Be still, our beating hearts!
- A violent, R-rated outrageous comedy sounds perfect to us.
Danger Zones:
- Key and Peele are great but sometimes their sketches went on a bit too long. Let’s hope this isn’t a movie that outstays its welcome
- A bad Key and Peele movie could make us way less excited for their future content and that’s a scary thought
- If anything bad happens to that cat, the internet will revolt.
Reporting by Nick Nunziata, Drew Dietsch, Andrew Hawkins, and Brandon Marcus
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