The theaters are getting a little busier as we inch towards the summer season. With a good split between bigger releases (such as “A Minecraft Movie”) and smaller indie titles, April looks like a solid month for new releases. From the volume of new titles to the sheer eclectic nature of what will be hitting our screens, there’s a little bit of everything. 

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From horror comedies to relationship-driven dramas, stories peppered with intergenerational storytelling, and festival favorites, there’s no shortage of variety this April. While not every film may be a must-watch, seeing such a varied lineup is refreshing. And, despite the blockbuster showing independent films, they are just as, if not more so, vital to seeing on the big screen. 

“A Minecraft Movie”The latest video game adaptation tackles the immensely popular sandbox game with “A Minecraft Movie.” Directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubble Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James, and Chris Galletta, the film follows four misfits pulled into a mysterious portal into the Overworld. A bizarre, cubic wonderland that relies on imagination, they must master the world to find their way home: Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Meyers, Danielle Brooks, and Jack Black star. Release Date: In theaters ApApril 4ia Warner Bros. Pictures. 

“Hell of A Summer”“Stranger Things” star Finn Wolfhard, along with Billy Bryk, direct the horror comedy film “Hell of a Summer.” The film follows a group of counselors who, the night before campers arrive, are attacked by a masked killer. Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai star alongside Wolfhard and Bryk. Release Date: In theaters ApApril 4ia NEON.

“Freaky Tales”Written and directed by Anna Biden and Ryan Fleck (the duo behind “Mississippi Grind” and “Captain Marvel”), “Freak Tales” made its premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The anthology-style action comedy follows four interconnected stories that take place at real locations during historical events in 1987 in Oakland, California. Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, and more star. Release Date: In theaters ApApril 4ia Lionsgate. 

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“The Amateur”Rami Malek stars in the action spy thriller “The Amateur” by director James Hawes (“One Life”) and writer Gary Spinelli, based on the novel by Robert Littell of the same name. Malek plays a CIA cryptographer who, after the loss of his wife in a terrorist attack, embarks on a one-man mission to hunt down those who killed her. Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, and more star. Release Date: In theaters ApApril 11ia 20th Century Studios.