24 Films to See in April

by Keith Kimbell, Metacritic Film Editor – April 3, 2023

While this April lacks the big-budget tentpoles that are typical of the season, it makes up for it with a diverse array of promising films, ranging from a Ben Affleck crowd-pleaser to festival hits to intriguing new titles from Ari Aster, Kelly Reichardt, Cristian Mungiu, David Lowery, and more. Oh, and did we mention that there's even a good new Nicolas Cage film? And a good Evil Dead sequel?

In the gallery on this page, our editors have selected the most interesting films debuting in North American theaters this month, listed in alphabetical order.

Additional content by Jason Dietz

3 of 24 photo by A24

63 Beau Is Afraid

Drama/Comedy | Directed by Ari Aster
Opens in theaters April 21
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On April Fool’s Day, writer-director Ari Aster (Hereditary) surprised fans expecting to see his director’s cut of Midsommar with an advance screening of his new film, a phantasmagoric journey taken by Joaquin Phoenix’s Beau to reunite with his mother, played by Patti LuPone. Phoenix gives another committed physical performance—Beau is shot, stabbed, and run over by a car, in addition to other violent physical comedy—and even fainted on set at one point. Expect to be challenged (after the screening, Aster said of Beau’s long, strange trip: “I want you to go through his guts and come out of his butt.”), and if that sounds fun, prepare for three hours of digestion.

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