This story was originally published and last updated .
Movie theaters are slowly reopening, but most of the new releases are headed to streaming services rather than the big screen. Whether you’re staying at home to limit potential risks, or just saving a few bucks by watching from the couch, we’ve organized a huge list with many of the newly added films and some upcoming titles.
April 30
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (formerly Connected)
Animation, Adventure, Comedy | Streaming: April 30 (Netflix) | Theaters: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph
Synopsis: Katie Mitchell is accepted into the film school of her dreams. Her whole family drives Katie to school together when their plans are interrupted by a tech uprising. The Mitchells will have to work together to save the world.
Golden Arm
Comedy | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Mary Holland, Betsy Sodaro, Olivia Stambouliah, Eugene Cordero, Aparna Nancherla, Dawn Luebbe, Ron Funches, Ahmed Bharoocha, Dot-Marie Jones, Kate Flannery
Synopsis: When her best friend Danny ropes her into taking her spot at the Women’s Arm Wrestling Championship, nice girl baker Melanie must trade whisks for barbells as she trains to face off with the reigning champ for a chance at newfound badassery and the grand prize.
Eat Wheaties!
Comedy | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Alan Tudyk, Elisha Cuthbert, Sarah Chalke, Tony Hale
Synopsis: Sid Straw’s life unravels as he tries to prove that he was friends with a celebrity in college.
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse
Action, Adventure, Thriller | Streaming: April 30 (Prime Video)|IMDb
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Lauren London, Jack Kesy, Akiva Goldsman, Brett Gelman
Synopsis: An elite Navy SEAL uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife in Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, the explosive origin story of action hero John Clark – one of the most popular characters in author Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe. When a squad of Russian soldiers kills his family in retaliation for his role in a top-secret op, Sr. Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) pursues the assassins at all costs. Joining forces with a fellow SEAL (Jodie Turner-Smith) and a shadowy CIA agent (Jamie Bell), Kelly’s mission unwittingly exposes a covert plot that threatens to engulf the U.S. and Russia in an all-out war. Torn between personal honor and loyalty to his country, Kelly must fight his enemies without remorse if he hopes to avert disaster and reveal the powerful figures behind the conspiracy.
The Virtuoso
Thriller, Crime, Action | Streaming: April 30 | Theaters: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Anson Mount, Abbie Cornish, Eddie Marsan, Richard Brake, David Morse, Anthony Hopkins
Synopsis: Danger, deception, and murder descend upon a sleepy country town when a professional assassin (Anson Mount) accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic mentor and boss (Oscar® winner Anthony Hopkins). Given only where and when along with a cryptic clue, the methodical hit man must identify his mysterious mark from among several possible targets, including a local sheriff (David Morse). Meanwhile, a chance encounter with an alluring woman (Abbie Cornish) at the town’s rustic diner threatens to derail his mission in this noir-style cloak-and-dagger thriller.
Cody’s Review: The Virtuoso is a cool and clever mystery thriller starring Anson Mount (probably best known for Hell On Wheels) as he takes an assignment to assassinate a mystery target in a tiny rural town. While our killer for hire works alone, he shares an inner narrative that fills the gaps with his process, techniques, and assassin wisdom throughout most of the film. This does get a little overplayed, but it serves up an interesting meta-twist at the end. He is clinical in his work, except for occasional brushes with humanity that torture him at his core. It’s a joy to watch Anson Mount completely absorb his roles, he has a way of instilling realism in characters that are just slightly larger than life. Anthony Hopkins also makes appearances, but the trailer over-represents his screen time, however he does kinda steal the show in one shot with an unexpectedly dark war story. Everybody in the small cast delivers at least decent performances, with some like Abby Cornish lending a lot of personality as the flirty waitress. There are several small plot twists, but it’s not hard to figure out how the ending will play out as it draws closer, the characters give away just a bit too much. I’ll stop there since it’s easy to spoil things by getting more detailed. I hate to comment on budget, but I suspect most of the money went to casting. There are subtle clues that the other production costs were done fairly cheap. None of this ruins the good story, and it may actually be an example of how much can be accomplished without much money… But picky people like me will notice. Verdict: The Virtuoso is an interesting and unique film that I really enjoyed. I don’t think it’s the type of movie I’ll go back to for a second time, but as long as the trailer looks interesting to you, this one probably won’t disappoint.
Wildcat
Thriller | Streaming: April 27 | Theaters: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Luke Benward, Ibrahim Renno, Mido Hamada, Ali Olomi
Synopsis: An ambitious reporter (Georgina Campbell) stationed in the Middle East is taken captive after a militant group ambushes her convoy. Convinced that the young woman is hiding her true identity, they’ll stop at nothing to extract information crucial to the success of their upcoming terrorist attack. With time running out, she must find a way to survive and turn the tables on her assailants.
Three Pints And A Rabbi
Drama, Mystery | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Amanda Abbington, Michael Maloney, Jordan Stephens
Synopsis: When three dazed and confused strangers wake up in a pub to a dead woman lying on the table with hefty chunks of flesh missing, they must figure out what happened to her in order to ensure they don’t meet the same fate.
The Outside Story
Drama | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Sonequa Martin-Green, Sunita Mani
Synopsis: An introverted editor living a vertical life in his 2nd-floor apartment, always on deadline and in a rut. When Charles locks himself out of his building, he’s forced to go horizontal and confront the world he’s been avoiding in search of a way back inside.
About Endlessness
Drama, Fantasy | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Bengt Bergius, Anja Broms, Marie Burman
Synopsis: A reflection on human life in all its beauty and cruelty, its splendor and banality. We wander, dreamlike, gently guided by our Scheherazade-esque narrator. Inconsequential moments take on the same significance as historical events: a couple floats over a war-torn Cologne; on the way to a birthday party, a father stops to tie his daughter’s shoelaces in the pouring rain; teenage girls dance outside a cafe; a defeated army marches to a prisoner-of-war camp. Simultaneously an ode and a lament, ABOUT ENDLESSNESS presents a kaleidoscope of all that is eternally human, an infinite story of the vulnerability of existence.
Percy Vs Goliath
Biography, Drama | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Zach Braff, Christopher Walken, Roberta Maxwell, Christina Ricci, Clark Johnson, Adam Beach, Luke Kirby
Synopsis: Christopher Walken, Zach Braff and Christina Ricci star in the true story of a small-town farmer taking on one of the largest agricultural and food manufacturing corporations. Percy Schmeiser (Walken), a third-generation farmer, is sued by a corporate giant for allegedly using their patented seeds. With little resources to fight the giant legal battle, Percy joins forces with up-and-coming attorney Jackson Weaver (Braff) and environmental activist Rebecca Salcau (Ricci) to fight one of the most monumental cases all the way up to the Supreme Court. *1978 Actor in a Supporting Role, The Deer Hunter.
Things Heard & Seen
Drama, Horror, Mystery | Streaming: April 29|IMDb
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton, Natalia Dyer
Synopsis: An artist relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history.
Sweet River
Horror, Mystery, Thriller | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Lisa Kay, Martin Sacks, Genevieve Lemon, Rob Carlton, Eddie Baroo, Jayden McGinlay, Chalotte Stent, Chris Haywood, Bryan Proberts, Jack Ellis, Jeremy Waters, Sam Parsonson
Synopsis: Hannah’s search for her son’s body leads her to sleepy Billins, where her investigations uncover more than she expected and threaten to expose towns dark secrets….secrets that both the living and the dead will fight to protect.
April 23
Mortal Kombat
Action, Adventure, Fantasy | Streaming: April 23 (HBO Max) | Theaters: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin
Synopsis: A failing boxer uncovers a family secret that leads him to a mystical tournament called Mortal Kombat where he meets a group of warriors who fight to the death in order to save the realms from the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung.
We Broke Up
Comedy | Streaming: April 23 | Theaters: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Aya Cash, William Jackson Harper, Sarah Bolger
Synopsis: Lori and Doug have been together for 10 years. But when Lori reacts badly to Doug’s surprise proposal just before her little sister’s wedding, he dumps her. Not wanting to steal the spotlight, Doug and Lori pretend they’re still together. However, raw emotions and tempting flirtations with other wedding guests make pretending a lot harder than they’d anticipated.
Ape Canyon
Comedy, Drama | Streaming: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Jackson Trent, Anna fa*gan, Donny Ness
Synopsis: Cal Piker hasn’t seen his sister Samantha since their mother’s funeral, so when he interrupts her English lecture one morning with a proposal – a week out in the woods of Oregon, looking for Bigfoot in the legendary ‘Ape Canyon’ – she is more than a little surprised. But it’s a dangerous thing to be led around by Cal, an irresponsible, frustratingly likable kid brother, enthusiastic to the point of irrationality to find Bigfoot for himself. For Cal, this is not a matter of legend. This is not just some adventure. If Samantha doesn’t stop him, Cal will either find Bigfoot or die trying.
The Marijuana Conspiracy
Drama | Streaming: April 20|IMDb
Starring: Brittany Bristow, Morgan Kohan, Julia Sarah Stone, Tymika Tafari, Kyla Young, Marie Ward, Luke Bilyk, Gregory Calderone, Derek McGrath, Paulino Nunes
Synopsis: In 1972, five young women looking for a fresh start in life become part of a radical experiment studying the effects of weed on women. Despite the agendas of the government, they use their unique strengths, and friendship to overcome adversity.
Cody’s Review: It’s the movie about pot that’s about almost everything but pot. Welcome to the (kinda) true story of a Canadian study performed in the early 70s that aimed to learn about the effects of marijuana use… by women… and only if the effects are bad. It’s a bit hard to unpack this film because it’s a mix of some genuinely great things and a few comically bad follies. On the positive side, credit is owed to the the female actors and the cinematography. Incredible performances were delivered by each of the five main women in the study and their overbearing nurse. They felt like real people and you can easily grow to care about and sympathize with their lives. There’s an almost Breakfast Club-like diversity to them that features their differences, while bringing them together over perfectly simple commonlities. These differences also serve to spark what the movie is really about, a series of the other things that impacted society at that time, particularly for women. And visually, each scene captures the tone perfectly, along with the style and sentiment of the 70s. On the other hand, the writing and direction were disorganized and eratic, and the male actors (or more likely the characters) were charged with being two-dimensional jerks. Some scenes were written almost like they were plucked from an afterschool special, while a couple others came across like 60-second commercial spots. Male characters are generally portrayed as casually sexist, chauvinist, racist, or bigotted; and they’re all basically villains, save for maybe one of them. The study’s lead barely even behaves like a character, but instead delivers exposition with the subtlty of a battering ram. I suspect the writer/director had several chips on his shoulder to work out through this film; but if you can overlook some moments of thinly-veiled contempt, the story as a whole is a great look back at things society used to misunderstand and had very wrong, and an even better reminder that society has made some progress and we’re generally headed in the right direction. Verdict: Despite some flaws, the viewing experience is positive and upbeat, filled with several side stories that highlight a heart and soul to its characters. It’s not a must see, but you won’t regret it either —as long as some of the ham-fisted moments don’t get under your skin.
Stowaway
Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Streaming: April 22|IMDb
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim
Synopsis: On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially fatal outcome, the crew is forced to make an impossible decision.
Night of the Sicario
Action, Thriller | Streaming: April 20 | Theaters: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Manny Perez, Costas Mandylor
Synopsis: Natasha Henstridge (Species) and Costas Mandylor (Saw franchise) star in this action-packed, suspenseful thriller that will shock you at every turn. While transporting the family of a key witness in a federal trial against the cartel, DEA agents are ambushed in a fatal shootout. Now the survivors, including the witness’ young daughter, must take refuge in a nearby home as the ruthless sicarios hunt them down. With danger at every corner and a violent hurricane wiping out any chance of outside help, they must play a deadly game of cat and mouse with the cartel to live through the night.
Cody’s Review: It feels like something is missing. Night of the Sicario is one of those films that aims to be one thing, but ultimately turns into something else. Flagged as an action thriller, there’s very little in the way of thrills or action, outside of a couple brief shootouts. I would instead label this a drama/suspense, as there’s plenty of both. I don’t have any technical complaints, and the concept is good, but I just couldn’t get into this one. The acting is a bit strained, especially with so much reliance on Natasha Henstridge to carry the scenes. As a result, the pacing is slow and often stumbles on long pauses and slow activity. Things briefly pick up when the seniors leap into action with a couple tricks to take out their captors, almost like a rag-tag geriatric A Team; but just as it seems they’re going to make a difference, they become inert and the bad guys are inexplicably fine again. Continuity issues are actually a bit of a trend in the movie, characters inexplicably change course and end up doing things or going places for no clear reason, and events happening earlier in the film don’t really line up with things that come later. I’m not sure if this was a mistake in editing, production, or writing, but it’s confusing all the same. And for reasons that are even more confusing, there are a couple unprompted moments of talking about cryptocurrency. I know this is related to the McGuffin of the film, but it’s so shoehorned that it feels like an ad. Verdict: Night of the Sicario should be considered a skip. It’s not strictly bad, but I couldn’t find anything motivating enough to warrant a recommendation.
Vanquish
Action, Crime, Thriller | Streaming: April 20 | Theaters: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ruby Rose
Synopsis: From the director of Double Take, Middle Men, and The Poison Rose comes this stylish, glossy action-thriller starring Morgan Freeman (Se7en) and Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) that shows what desperation can drive a person to do. A mother, Victoria (Rose), is trying to put her dark past as a Russian drug courier behind her, but retired cop Damon (Freeman) forces Victoria to do his bidding by holding her daughter hostage. Now, Victoria must use guns, guts, and a motorcycle to take out a series of violent gangsters — or she may never see her child again.
Cody’s Review: I had moderately high hopes for Vanquish — it stars Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose, it’s written and directed by Bad Boys illum George Gallo, and the trailer feels unique and interesting. However, the resulting movie is dry, lazy, and lifeless. Shooting began in September 2020, shortly after COVID-19 restrictions relaxed on filming. This may explain a very limited cast and some awful locations, but it can’t justify miserable lighting, poor cinematography, or weird sound effects, like strange sci-fi sound effects coming out of Ruby’s motorcycle. While Freeman and Rose bordered on phoning in their performances, I doubt they had anything to work with, and just about every other performance is terrible. Making matters worse is the paint-by-numbers plot and script, which has basically no depth, character development, or direction. But the most painful thing about Vanquish is the editing. There are 20-second long close-up shots of Ruby Rose riding a motorcycle for no reason, uncomfortably long establishing shots, and other filler that absolutely destroy the pacing. It’s rare to say this with sincerity, but at least 15 minutes could have been cut from this movie without sacrificing anything of value. I’m uncertain if this is a side-effect of having too little footage to work with, but this needed to be a tighter movie. And I try to avoid complaining about post-production details, but the color grade is tragic, which makes me wonder if they even had a decent camera to shoot with. Put simply, I’ve seen a better look and higher production values from SyFy originals and independent vloggers on YouTube. There’s so much more to complain about, but I’ll stop here. Verdict: It’s a solid skip. At best, this will help you fall asleep; and at the worst, you’ll actually stay awake through the whole thing.
Test Pattern
Drama, Thriller | Streaming: April 19 | Theaters: February 12|IMDb
Starring: Brittany S. Hall, Will Brill, Gail Bean
Synopsis: Test Pattern follows an interracial couple whose relationship is put to the test after a Black woman is sexually assaulted and her white boyfriend drives her from hospital to hospital in search of a rape kit.
The Mortuary Collection
Horror | Streaming: April 20|IMDb
Starring: Clancy Brown, Caitlin Custer, Christine Kilmer, Jacob Elordi
Synopsis: Set in the phantasmagorical town of Raven’s End, nothing is as it seems…. In THE MORTUARY COLLECTION, a misguided young girl takes refuge in a decrepit old mortuary. There she meets Montgomery Dark, an eccentric undertaker with more than a few skeletons in his closet. Montgomery chronicles the strange history of the town through a series of twisted tales, each more terrifying than the last, but the young girl’s world is unhinged when she discovers that the final story…is her own.
Cody’s Review: Horror anthologies, like a good campfire story, are all about mixing suspense, thrills, scares, a hint of camp/comedy, and always a singular lesson. Tales from the Crypt was great at doing this in the early 90s, and it’s not hard to see the same DNA splattered across The Mortuary Collection. We are guided through the mortuary by a Crypt Keeper-ish figure in the form of Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown), who tells stories of the dead to a quirky girl named Sam who is there to apply for a job. The setting is fun and injects just enough camp to show the film is fairly self-aware, but no so over the top to be mistaken as a comedy. The stories are not bound by reality, so just about anything can happen. While none of them are predictible from the outset, or even at the midway point, they often feel more telegraphed near the ending. There are four tales to be told, starting with a quick hit to get you in the mood, and the second goes for a clever twist with a modern theme that’s pretty fun. I wasn’t a fan of the third segment, as it drags on to the point of tedium. And the final story is stacked with twists, before leading into the grand finale. The visuals are solid and the acting is good, or at least good for this genre and format —you want a bit of overacting to keep it fun. Verdict: If you’re a fan of horror anthologies, watch it. This won’t become you’re favorite, but you’ll enjoy it all the same. Otherwise, The Mortuary Collection can be a skip unless you’re just looking for something new to fill the time.
Sweet River
Horror, Mystery, Thriller | Streaming: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Lisa Kay, Martin Sacks, Eddie Baroo
Synopsis: Hana’s search for her son’s body leads her to the sleepy town of Billing, where her investigations uncover more than she expected and threaten to expose the towns secrets… secrets that both the living and the dead will fight to protect.
The Boonies
Horror | Streaming: April 13 (seems to be late?) | Theaters: March 30|IMDb
Starring: Daniel Johnson, James Quinn, Brian Balog
Synopsis: Aaron (Matt Schultz, Theo and the Professor) joins his brother, Jeremy (James Quinn, Checkmate), and a group of his friends for a weekend hiking excursion into the Appalachian woods. Instead of a peaceful weekend getaway, the group soon discovers their itinerary includes more than a traditional outdoor adventure. When they unexpectedly meet a couple who report strange local occurrences, the group soon find themselves on a terrifying trek during their fight for survival.
Cody’s Review: I regret every decision in my life that has led up to seeing this movie. At first, The Boonies feels like an amateur horror film. The audio and cinematography are passable, and might even be considered pretty good if we’re setting a low bar; but there’s no mistake that it has a very low-budget feel to it. Likewise, the acting is pretty weak, but it’s hard to tell how much can be attributed to bad direction and editing as opposed to just using a fairly amateur cast. Despite going on a camping trip as a group and having a fair amount of history together, it feels like most of them don’t even like each other —a sentiment I completely understand, as they are also immediately and entirely unlikable people. The only good acting I actually recall was delivered by a random victim that didn’t actually have any lines besides screaming in fear. However, the biggest problems can be attributed to the writing, direction, and editing. There is a scene where the characters are running for their lives, then stop and have a conversation with absolutely no sense of urgency. In another scene, two characters literally sit on the floor talking about not letting somebody get away… while that person gets away! By the time we understand the motives of our villains, about an hour in, it feels like this whole movie was made as a prank. The one and only thing I can give the smallest amount of credit for is that the ‘god-fearing’ villains turn out to be unusually open-minded in regards to relationships. Good for them, I guess. Verdict: This movie should be a career ender for half of the people involved. Don’t watch it.
Bloodthirsty
Horror, Thriller | Streaming: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Lauren Beatty, Greg Bryk, Katharine King So
Synopsis: When indie singer Grey struggles to write her sophom*ore album, she teams up with a mysterious producer at his secluded cabin. Though their bond strengthens her music, it also starts to irreparably alter Grey’s body and mind.
April 16
Arlo the Alligator Boy
Animation, Adventure, Comedy | Streaming: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Michael J. Woodard, Mary Lambert, Brett Gelman
Synopsis: To find the father he never knew, optimistic Arlo leaves his swampy Southern home for New York City, making friends along the way. A musical adventure.
Nobody
Action, Thriller, Crime | Streaming: April 15 | Theaters: March 26|IMDb
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen
Synopsis: Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a ‘nobody.’ When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch’s unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.
The Rookies
Action | Streaming: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Talu Wang, Sandrine Pinna, Milla Jovovich
Synopsis: Extreme sport lover Zhou Feng got involved in an international illegal trade by accident. So he had to follow an international special agent Bruce to Budapest.
Chaos Walking
Adventure, Sci-Fi | Streaming: April 2 | Theaters: March 5|IMDb
Starring: Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Demián Bichir
Synopsis: Two unlikely companions embark on a perilous adventure through the badlands of an unexplored planet as they try to escape a dangerous and disorienting reality, where all inner thoughts are seen and heard by everyone.
Assault on VA-33
Action, Thriller | Streaming: April 6 | Theaters: April 2|IMDb
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos
Synopsis: Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints) stars as decorated army veteran Jason Hill. While on a routine visit to the local VA hospital, organized terrorists infiltrate the building and take hostages, including a decorated general, and Hill’s wife. The highly trained veteran is outnumbered and the last line of defense, taking on a building full of armed insurgents before it’s too late.
Cody’s Review: Die Hard on an anorexic budget. At any other point in history, Assault on VA-33 wouldn’t even earn itself a direct-to-DVD release, but would instead make its debut in the 2AM slot of a low-budget action movie marathon. Every corner was cut, even down to using cheap squibs. We’ve seen this story before: A group of ‘terrorists’ take over a building with hostages, a random guy with combat training is caught in the middle of it, somehow his family gets involved, and the random guy takes out the bad guys one-by-one to save the day. Sean Patrick Flanery leads as a cut rate John McClane suffering from PTSD and a dodgy leg. He’s ostensibly joined by Michael Jai White, an incompetent and functionally irrelevant police chief. Nicholas Cage’s real life son, Weston Cage Coppola, jumps into a low-rent version of Hans Gruber, complete with a dubious Russian(?) accent —seriously, they’re just ripping off Die Hard. The writing is bad, direction is bad, editing is bad, and the acting is bad… And I just watched Born A Champion, so it’s obvious Flanery can deliver something more competent than this. At times I think they didn’t even have a script, but instead encouraged the actors to ad-lib conversations. I could spend 20 minutes just complaining about the assorted places where special effects were wrong, and another 20 minutes on the poor sound design, like when they left out the sound of footsteps when people were running down a stairwell. Verdict: Don’t pay for this. In fact, don’t even watch it for free when some network picks it for filler in 6 months. There’s simply nothing redeeming here, it’s better to go back and re-watch Con Air for the hundredth time.
The Courier
Thriller | Streaming: April 16 | Theaters: March 19|IMDb
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan
Synopsis: This intense action-thriller unfolds in real time as two embattled souls fight for their lives. Gary Oldman stars as a vicious crime boss out to kill Nick, the lone witness set to testify against him. He hires a mysterious female motorcycle courier to unknowingly deliver a poison-gas bomb to slay Nick, but after she rescues Nick from certain death, the duo must confront an army of ruthless hired killers in order to survive the night.
City of Lies
Biography, Crime, Drama | Streaming: April 9 | Theaters: March 19|IMDb
Starring: Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Toby Huss
Synopsis: Los Angeles Police Department detective Russell Poole has spent years trying to solve his biggest case — the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur — but after two decades, the investigation remains open. Jack Jackson, a reporter desperate to save his reputation and career, is determined to find out why. In search of the truth, the two team up and unravel a growing web of institutional corruption and lies.
Adverse
Crime, Thriller | Streaming: March 9 (fell through the cracks) | Theaters: February 12|IMDb
Starring: Thomas Nicholas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Sean Astin, Penelope Ann Miller, Mickey Rourke
Synopsis: Thomas Nicholas (“Red Band Society”) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) star in this gritty, intense urban thriller about one man’s quest for revenge. Struggling to make ends meet, rideshare driver Ethan (Nicholas) learns his sister Mia is deep in debt to a sleazy drug dealer. When Mia goes missing, Ethan discovers that crime boss Kaden (Rourke) is behind the act, and to get close to him Ethan takes a job as Kaden’s driver. One by one Ethan hunts down members of Kaden’s crew to wreak bloody vengeance as he prepares to confront Kaden himself. The stellar cast also includes Lou Diamond Phillips, Sean Astin, and Penelope Ann Miller.
Monday
Drama, Romance | Streaming: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Denise Gough, Dominique Tipper
Synopsis: Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough), two Americans in their mid-thirties living in Athens, meet in the heat of summer one whirlwind weekend. The chemistry between them is undeniable. When Chloe’s time in Greece is drawing to a close, she decides to give up her high-flying job back home and explore whether one weekend’s passion can blossom into something more. Argyris Papadimitropoulos’ follow up of the festival sensation Suntan is a fun, sensuous romance about how love gets in the way of life, and life gets in the way of love.
Boogie
Drama | Streaming: March 26 | Theaters: March 5|IMDb
Starring: Taylor Takahashi, Pamelyn Chee, Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
Synopsis: Alfred ‘Boogie’ Chin is a basketball phenom living in Queens, New York, who dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation.
Killer Among Us
Horror, Thriller | Streaming: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Yasha Jackson, Bruce MacVittie, Andrew Richardson
Synopsis: On the 4th of July, a serial killer has a moral crisis when he discovers that his latest victim is a high-school student; simultaneously, a rookie cop and a seasoned detective race against the clock to save her life.
Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie
Horror, Documentary, Adventure, Fantasy | Streaming: April 6|IMDb
Starring: Sam Suchmann, Mattie Zufelt, Peter Farrelly
Synopsis: Sam and Mattie, two badass best friends with Down syndrome, rally the entire town of Providence RI to help them storyboard, script, produce, cast, and star in their own dream movie: ‘Spring Break Zombie Massacre.’
Jakob’s Wife
Horror | Streaming: April 16|IMDb
Starring: Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, Nyisha Bell, Mark Kelly, Sarah Lind, Robert Rusler, Bonnie Aarons, Phil Brooks
Synopsis: Anne is married to a small-town minister and feels like her life and marriage have been shrinking over the past 30 years. After a chance encounter with “The Master,” she discovers a new sense of power and an appetite to live bigger and bolder than before. As Anne is increasingly torn between her enticing new existence and her life before, the body count grows and Jakob realizes he will have to fight for the wife he took for granted.
Honeydew
Horror | Streaming: April 13 | Theaters: March 12|IMDb
Starring: Sawyer Spielberg, Malin Barr, Barbara Kingsley
Synopsis: HONEYDEW tells the story of a young couple (played by Spielberg and Barr) who are forced to seek shelter in the home of an aging farmer (Kingsley) and her peculiar son, when they suddenly begin having strange cravings and hallucinations taking them down a rabbit hole of the bizarre.
April 9
Thunder Force
Action, Adventure, Comedy | Streaming: April 9|IMDb
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman
Synopsis: Two childhood best friends reunite as an unlikely crime-fighting superhero duo when one invents a formula that gives ordinary people superpowers.
The Grounds
Comedy, Drama | Streaming: April 6|IMDb
Starring: Michael Welch, Trevor Morgan, Ashley Hinshaw
Synopsis: Alcoholic Calvin cons his way into a job tending the grounds of a hillside mansion owned by the reclusive Jack. On the night Calvin stumbles into a bathroom to see Jack with a gun to his head, an unlikely friendship is born.
Cody’s Review: A slow burn – and that’s not just an inescapable pun. The Grounds stars societies two most contemptable cliches: a reclusive rich guy (Jack) with suicidal depression and a degenerate loser (Calvin) with zero skills, a marginal amount of charm, and a severe substance abuse problem. Put these two together, add copious amounts of alcohol and weed, and… that’s about it. The next hour is basically a series of bro hangouts, some conversations with Jack’s gorgeous assistant, and a couple parties to shake things up. Thanks to their friendship, Jack’s symptoms are drowned out by boozing and smoking, while Calvin crawls to the bottom of his personal barrel. You would think this concludes with each of them facing their demons, but instead the problems are largely swept under the rug and the movie concludes like the cliffhanger episode before a season finale. The acting and direction seem to get the job done, which only leaves the script to blame for a mediocre experience. Despite being labeled a comedy, there’s not much in the way of funny moments. The Grounds left me wanting more. Not just because the story seems to be incomplete, but because it never seems to commit to any particular message or experience. It’s just ‘a day in the life of…’ Verdict: There’s not much reason to hate The Grounds, but outside of the middle third of the movie when all of the characters are at their happiest, there’s also no reason to like it. I would skip this one.
Space Dogs: Tropical Adventure
Animation, Action, Adventure | Streaming: April 6|IMDb
Starring: Mauriett Chayeb, Maria Antonieta Monge, Paula Andrea Barros
Synopsis: When a mysterious and dangerous whirlpool appears in the tropics of the Atlantic Ocean, astronauts Belka and Strelka are sent to investigate. With the help of their good friends, Belka and Strelka must once again act heroically and complete a daring mission to save the planet along with the distant home of their new alien friends.
Giants Being Lonely
Drama, Sport | Streaming: April 6|IMDb
Starring: Alejandro Castro Arias, Tal Chatterjee, Amalia Culp
Synopsis: As their senior year comes to an end, the pressure to “make it out alive” seems daunting for high school seniors Bobby, Caroline and Adam. As they each discover what it means to love and be loved they find themselves navigating the complex nature of human relationships, facing their own personal versions of neglect and abandonment. With baseball forming the backdrop to this coming of age story, three teens find themselves on a treacherous path towards adulthood.
My True Fairytale
Drama, Mystery, Thriller | Streaming: April 9|IMDb
Starring: Emma Kennedy, Anthony Richard Pagliaro, Morgan Lindholm, BJ Mitchell, Joanna Cassidy, Bruce Davison, Warner Adachi, Alyshia Ochse
Synopsis: Angie Goodwin, 17, along with her best friends, Sarah and Andre, go through a horrific car crash. While her friends miraculously survive, Angie disappears. She decides to fulfill her childhood fantasy and embarks on a mysterious journey.
Held
Horror, Mystery, Thriller | Streaming: April 8|IMDb
Starring: Jill Awbrey, Bart Johnson, Travis Cluff
Synopsis: A couple’s ailing marriage is put to the test when they are held hostage in an isolated vacation rental by an unseen Voice that commands their every move.
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist
Documentary | Streaming: April 13|IMDb
Starring: William Friedkin
Synopsis: LEAP OF FAITH: WILLIAM FRIEDKIN ON THE EXORCIST is a complete dissection and sweeping examination of the award-winning genre classic The Exorcist. Explore the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that helped shape his life and filmography, as told by the man himself.
Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie
Documentary | Streaming: April 6|IMDb
Starring: Sam Suchmann, Mattie Zufelt, Paul ‘Pauly D’ DelVecchio, Peter Farrelly
Synopsis: Sam & Mattie, two badass best friends with Down Syndrome, rally the entire town of Providence RI to help them realize their vision: an extremely questionable and violent teen zombie movie called Spring Break Zombie Massacre. After their successful kickstarter campaign goes viral, Sam’s brother Jesse and his friends realize how unprepared they were to make a film of this scale, but agree to stick to Sam & Mattie’s uncompromising vision at all costs. After a DIY premiere, the film attracts incredible national press and fanfare, before being rejected from nearly every film festival it’s submitted to. Eventually, the attention fades, and Sam & Mattie’s lives return to a quiet normal. Years later, the team picks back up their cameras to ask Sam & Mattie whether or not they think the film was a failure. They tearfully, and wisely explain that: no, in fact, it was a massive success — the film was only ever a reason to hang out. They agree to make a sequel, so they can do it all again.
Upcoming
Here are some of the movies that are scheduled to come out soon. Links are added when possible, but many services won’t have pages for these services until they go live. Release dates may change without notice, so not all of these dates will turn out to be accurate.
Threshold
Horror | Streaming: May 3|IMDb
Starring: Joey Millin, Nadine Sondej-Robinson, Daniel Abraham Stevens
Synopsis: Improvised, shot on 2 iPhones over the course of a 12-day road trip with a crew of 3, THRESHOLD follows a sister, claiming to be cursed, as she persuades her brother to embark on a cross-country trip to break her spell. Convinced she’s on drugs, he agrees to the trip, with one caveat: if there’s nothing at their destination, she goes straight to rehab.
Wrath of Man
Action, Thriller | Streaming: May 7 | Theaters: January 15|IMDb
Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett, Niamh Algar, Jeffrey Donovan
Synopsis: Armored truck heist movie about a mysterious worker at a cash truck company that moves hundred of millions of dollars around Los Angeles each week.
Locked In
Crime, Drama, Thriller | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Mena Suvari, Jeff Fahey, Costas Mandylor
Synopsis: Mena Suvari (American Beauty) and Jeff Fahey (Lost) star in this heart-stopping,action-thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. After a diamond heist takes a fatal turn, a pair of thieves must entrust their fortune with an accomplice at a high-tech storage facility while they lay low. Hiding the goods within the labyrinth of storage units, the thieves’ inside man pays the ultimate price when he turns against them. Now, hellbent on recovering the missing stones, they seize the facility and kidnap surviving employee Maggie (Suvari), threatening her family unless she helps them. Locked in with nowhere to run, Maggie’s only chance to escape alive is to fight back and stay one step ahead of her captors in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Initiation
Thriller, Horror | Streaming: May 7 | Theaters: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Jon Huertas, Isabella Gomez, Lindsay Lavanchy, Froy Gutierrez, Gattlin Griffith, Patrick Walker, Bart Johnson, Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon, Yancy Butler, Lochlyn Munro
Synopsis: During a university’s pledge week, the carefree partying turns deadly serious when a star athlete is found impaled in his dorm. The murder ignites a spree of sinister social-media messages, sweeping the students and police into a race against time to uncover the truth behind the school’s dark secrets…and the horrifying meaning of a recurring symbol: a single exclamation mark.
Above Suspicion
Action, Biography, Crime | Streaming: May 7 | Theaters: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Jack Huston, Sophie Lowe, Austin Hébert, Karl Glusman, Chris Mulkey, Omar Miller, Kevin Dunn, Thora Birch, Johnny Knoxville
Synopsis: Based on the true story of one of the most notorious crimes in FBI history, this gritty crime-thriller stars Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”) as Susan Smith, a young woman desperate to escape a seedy life of crime and drugs in a Kentucky coal mining town. When a newly minted FBI agent named Mark Putnam (Jack Huston, “Fargo”) recruits Susan as his informant for a high-profile case, she believes her bad luck may finally be changing. But as Susan and Putnam’s relationship deepens, so does the danger, setting them both on a collision course with deadly consequences.
Here Today
Comedy | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Sharon Stone, Penn Badgley, Laura Benanti
Synopsis: Veteran comedy writer Charlie Burnz (Billy Crystal) forms an unlikely yet hilarious and touching friendship with New York singer Emma Payge (Tiffany Haddish) in the new comedy-drama Here Today. Emma — the unlikely recipient of a prize to have lunch with the comedy legend, despite not knowing who he is — gets off to a rocky start with Charlie (think seafood allergy, a hospital visit, and an epi pen). Before long, each finds in the other a sort of soul mate, forging a deep bond that kicks the generation gap aside and redefines the meaning of friendship, love, and trust.
The Human Factor
Documentary | Streaming: May 7 | Theaters: January 22 (limited)|IMDb
Starring: Gamal Helal, Martin Indyk, Daniel Kurtzer
Synopsis: With unprecedented access to the foremost American negotiators, this documentary is the behind-the-scenes story from the last 25 years, of how the United States came within reach of pulling off the impossible – securing peace between Israel and its neighbors. Today, the need to learn from past mistakes couldn’t be more urgent.
Monster
Crime, Drama | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: John David Washington, Jennifer Ehle, Jeffrey Wright
Synopsis: Monster tells the story of Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) a seventeen-year-old honor student whose world comes crashing down around him when he is charged with felony murder. The film follows his dramatic journey from a smart, likeable film student from Harlem attending an elite high school through a complex legal battle that could leave him spending the rest of his life in prison.
Mainstream
Comedy, Drama | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, Nat Wolff
Synopsis: A young woman (Maya Hawke) thinks she’s found a path to internet stardom when she starts making YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger (Andrew Garfield) – until the dark side of viral celebrity threatens to ruin them both.
The Water Man
Adventure, Drama, Family | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Rosario Dawson, David Oyelowo, Emma Needell, Oprah Winfrey, Lonnie Chavis, Alfred Molina, Amiah Miller, Maria Bello
Synopsis: Gunner (Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is.
Adventure, Comedy, Horror | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Mo Arora, Justin Beaudrot, William Childress
Synopsis: A clickbait journalist is sent to the Appalachian foothills to cover a Bigfoot Convention where he discovers there’s more to this listicle than meets the eye.
The Paper Tigers
Action, Comedy | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Yuji Okumoto, Ron Yuan, Jae Suh Park
Synopsis: Three Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men, now one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs, dad duties, and old grudges to avenge his death.
Paper Spiders
Drama | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Peyton List, Lili Taylor, Max Casella
Synopsis: Dawn recently lost her husband and experiences growing anxiety as her daughter Melanie plans to move away for college. An altercation with a hostile new neighbor aggravates Dawn’s mental condition, and she begins to show signs of paranoid delusions. Determined to help her mom, Melanie attempts a series of interventions, but challenging Dawn’s reality of persecution threatens to destroy their loving relationship. Her mental illness spirals out of control — sabotaging Melanie’s academics, social life, and blossoming love life. Melanie is forced to make the toughest of choices as she struggles to support her mother on the path toward recovery and healing. A bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness.
The Boy from Medellín
Documentary, Biography, Music | Streaming: May 7|IMDb
Starring: Matthew Heineman, José Álvaro Osorio Balvín
Synopsis: Follows J Balvin as he prepares for the most important concert of his career–a sold-out stadium show in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia. But as the performance draws ever closer, the streets explode with growing political unrest, forcing the Latin Grammy-winning musician to wrestle with his responsibility as an artist to his country and his legions of fans around the globe. As the public pressure of the approaching concert heightens, behind the scenes Balvin also continues to deal with the anxiety and depression that has plagued him for years.
Goodbye Honey
Thriller | Streaming: May 11|IMDb
Starring: Peyton Michelle Edwards, Pamela Jayne Morgan, Stacey Van Gorder
Synopsis: After escaping abduction, a frantic woman must coerce an exhausted truck driver to hide in the back of her truck for the night. The two women take refuge not knowing what the rest of the night has in store.
The Reckoning
Action, Horror | Streaming: May 13|IMDb
Starring: Charlotte Kirk, Joe Anderson, Steven Waddington, Sean Pertwee
Synopsis: After losing her husband during the Great Plague, Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk) is unjustly accused of being a witch and placed in the custody of England’s most ruthless witch-hunter, Judge Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee). Forced to endure physical and emotional torture while steadfastly maintaining her innocence, Grace must face her own inner demons as the Devil himself starts to work his way into her mind.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
Crime, Horror, Mystery | Streaming: May 14|IMDb
Starring: Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan David Jones
Synopsis: Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran, brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his rookie partner take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.
Profile
Mystery, Thriller | Streaming: May 14|IMDb
Starring: Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams
Synopsis: Looking to investigate recruitment techniques of ISIS to lure women into Syria, Amy Whitaker, a journalist, creates a Facebook profile of a Muslim convert. When an ISIS recruiter contacts her online character, she experiences the process first hand.
High Ground
Drama, Adventure | Streaming: May 14|IMDb
Starring: Jacob Junior Nayinggul, Simon Baker, Callan Mulvey, Aaron Pedersen, Ryan Corr, Caren Pistorius, Sean Mununggurr, Witiyana Marika, Esmerelda Marimowa, Maximillian Johnson, Jack Thompson
Synopsis: Gutjuk teams up with ex-sniper Travis to track down the most dangerous warrior in the Territory, who is also his uncle. As Travis and Gutjuk journey through the outback they begin to earn each other’s trust, but when the truths of Travis’ past actions are suddenly revealed, it is he who becomes the hunted.
Theatrical releases
If you’re up for hitting the theaters, here’s a list of releases that just made it to the big screen. Only titles from the last two weeks will be listed here.
Together Together
Comedy | Streaming: May 11 | Theaters: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Patti Harrison, Ed Helms, Rosalind Chao
Synopsis: When young loner Anna is hired as the gestational surrogate for Matt, a single man in his 40s who wants a child, the two strangers come to realize this unexpected relationship will quickly challenge their perceptions of connection, boundaries and the particulars of love.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Documentary, History | Streaming: May 7 | Theaters: April 23|IMDb
Starring: Joan Ganz Cooney, Jim Henson, Jon Stone
Synopsis: Street Gang will take us inside the minds and hearts of the Sesame Street creators to help us understand not only how they produced this groundbreaking show, but also what it was like to be at the center of a cultural and social phenomenon. Street Gang concentrates on the most experimental and groundbreaking period of Sesame Street. The original surviving creators weave together personal narratives, and never before seen behind the scenes footage to reveal how they collaborated to push every boundary that confronted them, changing television, and changing the world.
Four Good Days
Drama | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Mila Kunis, Glenn Close, Stephen Root
Synopsis: In an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow, 31-year-old Molly begs her estranged mother Deb for help fighting a fierce battle against the demons that have derailed her life. Despite all she has learned over a decade of disappointment, grief and rage, Deb throws herself into one last attempt to save her beloved daughter from the deadly and merciless grip of heroin addiction. Powerhouse performances from Glenn Close and Mila Kunis anchor director Rodrigo García’s poignant and unpredictable chronicle of mother and daughter fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together.
Triumph
Drama | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Terrence Howard, RJ Mitte, Colton Haynes, Michael D. Coffey, Johnathon Schaech, Brett Leonard, Grace Victoria Cox
Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, a bright and determined high school senior strives to be a wrestler despite having cerebral palsy. Going to extreme lengths, he crushes obstacles and inspires others along his journey to prove his abilities.
Separation
Horror | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: William Brent Bell, Violet McGraw, Jesse Korman, Rupert Friend, Mamie Gummer, Madeline Brewer, Brian Cox, William Brent
Synopsis: 8-year-old Jenny (Violet McGraw) is constantly caught in the middle of the feuding between her lawyer mother Maggie (Mamie Gummer) and artist father Jeff (Rupert Friend). She leads a lonely but imaginative life, surrounded by puppets called “Grisly Kin”, which are based on the works of her father. When Maggie is tragically killed in a hit-and-run, Jeff and Jenny try to piece together a new life. But when Maggie’s father (Brian Cox) sues for custody, and babysitter Samantha (Madeline Brewer) tries to be the new woman of the house, life in their Brooklyn townhome takes a dark turn. The puppets and frightening characters come to life and Jenny is the only person who can see them. When the motives of the ghoulish creatures become clear, the lives of everyone are put very much in jeopardy.
Limbo
Drama | Streaming: April 30|IMDb
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Vikash Bhai, Ola Orebiyi, Kwabena Ansah
Synopsis: Omar is a promising young musician. Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request.
We’ll keep this list updated frequently, so keep coming back to see what’s new.
Image credit: Mc Jefferson Agloro
