After an exciting Women’s History Month, complete with the groundbreaking release of Marvel’s first superheroine film, April will continue the momentum with a slew of women-centric and women-helmed releases.
On April 12, “Little,” directed by Tina Gordon and written by Gordon and Tracy Oliver, hits theaters across the U.S. “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin made history as the youngest executive producer of a major Hollywood film ever after she conceptualized the film and shared her idea with show creator Kenya Barris. The comedy follows tech mogul Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall) after she transforms back into her younger self (Martin) when the pressures of adulthood start to overwhelm her.
April will also see Elisabeth Moss and Elle Fanning become the latest high-profile actresses to portray musicians on screen. “Her Smell” (April 12) stars Moss as Becky Something, a punk superstar whose music and fame peaked in the ’90s, as she finds herself struggling to live up to her legacy. Meanwhile, Fanning will play Violet in “Teen Spirit” (April 5), a shy teenager who enters a local singing competition and ends up getting caught between staying true to herself and pursuing success at all costs.
Several new women-helmed films will be released on Netflix this April. “Unicorn Store” (April 5), directed by “Captain Marvel” star Brie Larson, will see a woman named Kit (Larson) get the chance to fulfill a childhood dream. Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, and DeWanda Wise play best friends in “Someone Great” (April 19). Written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, the film follows Jenny (Rodriguez) as she gets her dream job, breaks up with her boyfriend, and spends one last crazy night in New York City before moving to San Francisco. Finally, on April 26 you can stream “Otherhood.” Directed by Cindy Chupack, the film follows three moms (Angela Basset, Patricia Arquette, and Felicity Huffman) as they travel to meet their adult sons after a disappointing Mother’s Day.
Between its biopics and documentaries, April will also feature a bevy of stories about real-life women. Molly Shannon portrays Emily Dickinson in “My Nights with Emily” (April 12). Written and directed by Madeleine Olnek, the film brings Dickinson’s romantic relationship with her sister-in-law (Susan Ziegler) to life while also exploring her fight to publish poetry in the male-dominated literary world. Writers Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett bring a controversial biblical character to life in “Mary Magdalene” (April 12). Rooney Mara stars in the titular role. Finally, documentary “Breaking Habits” (April 19) follows Christine Meeusen, a woman who takes on the persona of a nun and begins her own marijuana business following her escape from a bad marriage.
Here are all of the women-centric, women-directed, and women-written films premiering this April. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
April 5
“High Life” – Directed by Claire Denis; Written by Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau, and Geoff Cox (Opens in NY and LA)
“High Life”
Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to the outer reaches of the solar system. The crew — death-row inmates led by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) with sinister motives — has vanished. As the mystery of what happened onboard the ship is unraveled, father and daughter must rely on each other to survive as they hurtle toward the oblivion of a black hole.
“Unicorn Store” – Directed by Brie Larson; Written By Samantha McIntyre (Available on Netflix)
“Unicorn Store”
A woman named Kit (Brie Larson) receives a mysterious invitation that would fulfill her childhood dreams.
“Teen Spirit”
“Teen Spirit”
Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition. Driven by a pop-fueled soundtrack, “Teen Spirit” is a visceral and stylish spin on the Cinderella story.
“Amazing Grace” (Documentary) (Opens in NY and LA)
A documentary presenting the live recording of Aretha Franklin’s album “Amazing Grace” at The New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.
“Blowin’ Up” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 12)
“Blowin’ Up”
Working within a broken criminal justice system, a team of rebel heroines work to change the the way women arrested for prostitution are prosecuted. With intimate camerawork that lingers on details and brings the Queens criminal courtroom to life, “Blowin’ Up” celebrates acts of steadfast defiance, even as it reveals the hurdles these women must face.
“Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise” (Documentary) – Directed by Jennifer Townsend (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 19)
Powerful and authentic, “Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise” dives off the edge into the truth of women’s experience in the world. It revisits the journey of “Thelma & Louise” through the lens of viewers who saw that iconic film in 1991 and shared intimate, personal stories at that time. The same women and men were tracked down 25 years later. Are their responses different now? Has anything changed in the way women are treated?
“The Wind” – Directed by Emma Tammi; Written by Teresa Sutherland (Also Available on VOD)
“The Wind”
“The Wind” explores an unseen evil as it haunts the homestead in this chilling, folkloric tale of madness, paranoia, and otherworldly terror. Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, an overwhelming dread that her husband (Ashley Zukerman) dismisses as superstition. When a newlywed couple arrives on a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy’s fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events.
“The Haunting of Sharon Tate” (Also Available on VOD)
“The Haunting of Sharon Tate”
Pregnant with director Roman Polanski’s child and awaiting his return from Europe, 26-year-old Hollywood actress Sharon Tate (Hilary Duff) becomes plagued by visions of her imminent death.
April 12
“Little” – Directed by Tina Gordon; Written by Tina Gordon and Tracy Oliver
“Little”: Eli Joshua Ade, Universal Pictures
“Little” tells the story of Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall) who, when the pressures of adulthood become too much to bear, gets the chance to relive the carefree life of her younger self (Marsai Martin).
“Wild Nights with Emily” – Written and Directed by Madeleine Olnek
“Wild Nights with Emily”
In the mid-19th century, Emily Dickinson is writing prolifically, baking gingerbread, and enjoying a passionate, lifelong romantic relationship with her friend and sister-in-law Susan (Susan Ziegler) — yes this is the iconic American poet, popularly thought to have been a joyless recluse. Beloved comic Molly Shannon leads in this humorous yet bold reappraisal of Dickinson, informed by her private letters. While seeking publication of some of the 1,775 poems written during her lifetime, Emily (Shannon) finds herself facing a troupe of literary gatekeepers too confused by her genius to take her work seriously. Instead her work attracts the attention of an ambitious woman editor, who also sees Emily as a convenient cover for her own role in buttoned-up Amherst’s most bizarre love triangle. Meticulously researched with the support of the Guggenheim foundation, this dramatic comedy generously intertwines Dickinson’ actual letters and poems into the texture of the film, used with permission from Harvard University Press. A timely critique of how women’s history is rewritten, “Wild Nights with Emily” remains vibrant, irreverent and tender — a perhaps closer depiction of Emily Dickinson’s real life than anything seen before.
“Her Smell” (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 19)
“Her Smell”
Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) is a ’90s punk rock superstar who once filled arenas with her grungy all-female trio, Something She. Now she plays smaller venues while grappling with motherhood, exhausted bandmates, nervous record company executives, and a new generation of rising talent eager to usurp her stardom. When Becky’s chaos and excesses derail a recording session and national tour, she finds herself shunned, isolated, and alone. Forced to get sober, temper her demons, and reckon with the past, she retreats from the spotlight and tries to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.
“After” – Directed by Jenny Gage; Written by Susan McMartin
“After”
“After” follows Tessa (Josephine Langford), a dedicated student, dutiful daughter, and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart, as she enters her first semester in college. Armed with grand ambitions for her future, her guarded world opens up when she meets the dark and mysterious Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), a magnetic, brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself and what she wants out of life.
“Mary Magdalene” – Written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett
“Mary Magdalene”
“Mary Magdalene” tells the moving story of one of the most misunderstood women in history, alternately vilified as a sinner and canonized as a saint. In the First Century A.D., the free-spirited Mary (Rooney Mara) flees the marriage her family has arranged for her, finding a sense of purpose in a radical new movement led by the charismatic, defiant preacher Jesus of Nazareth (Joaquin Phoenix). The sole woman among his band of disciples, Mary defies the prejudices of her patriarchal society. She undergoes a profound spiritual awakening, becomes drawn her into conflict with Jesus’ apostles Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Judas (Tahar Rahim), and finds herself at the center of an earth-shaking historical moment.
“Girls of the Sun” – Written and Directed by Eva Husson
“Girls of the Sun”
Somewhere in Kurdistan, Bahar (Golshifteh Farahani), commander of the “Girls of the Sun” battalion, is preparing to liberate her hometown from the hands of extremists, hoping to find her son who is being held hostage. A French journalist, Mathilde (Emmanuelle Bercot), comes to cover the attack and bear witness to the story of these exceptional warriors. Since their lives have been turned upside down, the Girls of the Sun find themselves fighting for women, life, and liberty.
“Mia and the White Lion” – Written by Prune de Maistre and William Davies
Ten-year-old Mia (Daniah De Villiers) has her life turned upside down when her family decides to leave London to manage a lion farm in Africa. When a beautiful white lion, Charlie, is born, Mia finds happiness once again and develops a special bond with the growing cub. When Charlie reaches three, Mia’s life is rocked once again as she uncovers an upsetting secret kept hidden by her father. Distraught by the thought that Charlie could be in danger, Mia decides to rescue him. The two friends set out on an incredible journey across the South African savanna in search of a sanctuary where Charlie can live out his life in freedom.
“The Most Dangerous Year” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Vlada Knowlton (Opens in NY; Opens in LA April 26)
In early 2016, when a dark wave of anti-transgender “bathroom bills” began sweeping across the nation, The Human Rights Campaign published a report identifying 2016 as the most dangerous year for transgender Americans. In Washington State alone, six such “bathroom bills” were introduced in the State Legislature. Filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a group of embattled parents as they banded together to fight a deluge of proposed laws that would strip away the rights of their young transgender children. With the help of a coalition of state lawmakers and civil rights activists, these families embarked on an uncharted journey of fighting to protect and preserve their children’s human rights and freedoms in this present-day civil rights movement.
“A Very Curious Girl” (Theatrical Re-Release) – Directed by Nelly Kaplan; Written by Nelly Kaplan, Michel Fabre, Claude Makovski, and Jacques Serguine (One Week Only in NY)
“A Very Curious Girl”
Nelly Kaplan’s breakthrough film engages in dark and surreal humor and showcases Bernadette Lafont as Marie, a suddenly orphaned young woman who learns to use her village’s hypocrisy to her own advantage — sexually and otherwise. As Kaplan notes, the movie is “the story of a modern-day witch who is not burned by inquisitors; it is she who burns them.” (The Quad Cinema)
“Yuli” – Directed by Icíar Bollaín (Opens in the UK)
“Yuli” is the nickname given to Carlos Acosta by his father Pedro. From a young age, Yuli fled any kind of discipline and education; the streets of a run-down neighborhood in Havana was where he learned most of his schooling. But Pedro knows his son has natural talent and forces him to attend Cuba’s National Dance School. Against his will and despite his initial indiscipline, Yuli ends up being captivated by the world of dance, and from childhood he will begin to build his own legend, as one of the best dancers of his generation, often breaking taboos and becoming the first black artist to dance Romeo in the Royal Ballet in London, where he forged a legendary career as a principal dancer for 17 years.
April 17
“Breakthrough” – Directed by Roxann Dawson
“Breakthrough”: Allen Fraser
“Breakthrough” is based on the inspirational true story of one mother’s unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith’s (Chrissy Metz) adopted son, John (Marcel Ruiz), falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John’s recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction.
April 19
“Little Woods” – Written and Directed by Nia DaCosta
“Little Woods”: Tribeca Film Festival
Little Woods, North Dakota, a fracking boomtown well beyond its prime. Ollie (Tessa Thompson) is trying to survive the last few days of her probation after getting caught illegally running prescription pills over the Canadian border. But when her mother dies, she is thrust back into the life of her estranged sister Deb (Lily James), who is facing her own crisis with an unplanned pregnancy and a deadbeat ex. The two find they have one week to settle the mortgage on their mother’s house or face foreclosure. As bills and pressure mount, Ollie faces a choice: whether to return to a way of life she thought she’d left behind for just one more score or to leave it all behind.
“Fast Color” – Directed by Julia Hart; Written by Julia Hart and Jordan Horowitz
“Fast Color”
Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is forced to go on the run when her superhuman abilities are discovered. Years after having abandoned her family, the only place she has left to hide is home.
“Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché” (Documentary) – Directed by Pamela B. Green; Written by Pamela B. Green and Joan Simon (Opens in LA; Opens in NY April 26)
Pamela B. Green’s energetic film about pioneer filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché is both a tribute and a detective story, tracing the circumstances by which this extraordinary artist faded from memory and the path toward her reclamation.
“Someone Great” – Written and Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Available on Netflix)
“Someone Great”
Aspiring music journalist Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) has just landed her dream job at an iconic magazine and is about to move to San Francisco. Rather than do long distance, her boyfriend of nine years (Lakeith Stanfield) decides to call it quits. To nurse her broken heart, Jenny gathers up her two best friends, Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow), for one outrageous last adventure in New York City.
“Red Joan” – Written by Lindsay Shapero (Also Available on VOD)
“Red Joan”: Nick Wall
Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, shockingly, the British Secret Service places her under arrest. The charge: providing classified scientific information — including details on the building of the atomic bomb — to the Soviet government for decades. As she is interrogated, Joan relives the dramatic events that shaped her life and beliefs: her student days at Cambridge, where she excelled at physics while challenging deep-seated sexism; her tumultuous love affair with a dashing political radical (Tom Hughes); and the devastation of World War II, which inspired her to risk everything in pursuit of peace.
“Rafiki” – Directed by Wanuri Kahiu; Written by Wanuri Kahiu and Jenna Cato Bass
“Rafiki”
“Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva) long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety.
“Hail Satan?” (Documentary) – Directed by Penny Lane
With unprecedented access, “Hail Satan?” traces the rise of The Satanic Temple: only six years old and already one of the most controversial religious movements in American history. The Temple and its enigmatic leader Lucien Greaves are calling for a Satanic revolution to save the nation’s soul. But are they for real?
“Family” – Written and Directed by Laura Steinel
“Family”
Kate Stone (Taylor Schilling) is career-focused, and enjoys her life that way. Her brash attitude keeps relationships at arm’s length, making her an outcast in her own right. When her estranged brother calls asking her to babysit her tween niece Maddie (Bryn Vale), Kate reluctantly agrees to help. But babysitting overnight unexpectedly turns into a week, and Kate’s life spins into chaos. As Maddie reveals stories of being bullied and of wanting to run away and be a Juggalo, the two form a unique bond.
“The Curse of La Llorona” – Written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis
“The Curse of La Llorona”
In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona (Marisol Ramirez) is stalking the night — and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona’s deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide.
“Daddy Issues” – Directed by Amara Cash
“Daddy Issues”: Under 1 Roof Productions
Maya (Madison Lawlor), a 19-year-old queer pixie, spends her days working on her art and cyberstalkng her insta-crush, the sexually fluid fashion designer Jasmine (Montana Manning). One night Maya boldly meets Jasmine IRL, there’s an insta-spark and the two begin an inspiring romantic relationship that gives Maya her first taste of true love and Jasmine the inspiration she needs to jump-start her career. It’s all gumdrops and fairytales until Maya discovers Jasmine’s in a co-dependent relationship with a neurotic sugar daddy. What started as a dream come true turns into a beautiful nightmare.
“Breaking Habits” (Documentary)
Cheated by her stealing, polygamist husband of 17 years, once high-flying corporate exec Christine Meeusen fled penniless with her three young children as her American dream began to unravel. Determined to make a living for her family, she discovered the lucrative business of cannabis farming and met her calling as founder of medicinal-marijuana empire Sisters of the Valley. Shedding her former life, Christine became Sister Kate; on a mission to provide her products to those in need. Fighting off the county sheriff, and protecting her crop from deadly black market thieves, “Breaking Habits” is a story of rebellion, hope, and revival.
“Finding Julia” – Written by Ha Phuong, Kieu Chinh, Minh Ngoc Nguyen, and Andrew Craft
In Manhattan, Eurasian acting student Julia Chamonix (Ha Phuong) is unable to enjoy the privileged life she shares with her doting father. Haunted by the tragic early death of her mother — a former star actress and singer in Vietnam — and likewise haunted by a secret desire she has to hide from the world, Julia struggles in her acting studies under renowned coach Igor (Richard Chamberlain). However, her ambitions to emulate her mother’s success are thwarted by her severe difficulties with the English language. Her only confidante is her wise Vietnamese grandmother, but even with her she limits what she confides. Meanwhile she begins to experience recurrent nightmares in which she relives the car accident that killed her mother. Caught between two very different cultures, East and West, Julia questions if she will ever fit in anywhere.
“Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse” (Available on VOD April 23)
“Hagazussa”
In a remote Alpine village in the 15th century, the orphan Albrun (Aleksandra Cwen) grows up to become a marked woman. The scapegoat of ancient superstitions and monstrous misogyny, this self-styled witch begins to assert her otherworldly birthright. The plague she conjures makes human cruelty look pathetic and small by comparison.
April 22
“Okko’s Inn” – Written by Reiko Yoshida (Special Release April 22 and 23)
“Okko’s Inn”: Media Castle
After losing her parents in a car accident, Okko goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn’s next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see — not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games, and help her navigate her new environment. The inn’s motto is that it welcomes all and will reject none, and this is soon put to the test as a string of new guests challenge Okko’s ability to be a gracious host. But ultimately Okko discovers that dedicating herself to others becomes the key to taking care of herself.
April 26
“JT LeRoy” – Written by Savannah Knoop and Justin Kelly (Also Available on VOD)
“JT LeRoy”
A young woman named Savannah Knoop (Kristen Stewart) spends six years pretending to be the celebrated author and cult status character JT LeRoy, the made-up literary persona of her sister-in-law (Laura Dern). During those six years, many unknowing celebrities become entangled in the ruse including Courtney Love and actress/filmmaker Eva (Diane Kruger), who championed JT Leroy and even made a movie based on a Leroy book, that went on to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Otherhood” – Directed by Cindy Chupack; Written by Cindy Chupack and Mark Andrus (Available on Netflix)
For empty nesters, what’s the difference between letting your children grow up and letting them grow distant? This year, on Mother’s Day, feeling marginalized and forgotten, long time friends Carol (Angela Bassett), Gillian (Patricia Arquette), and Helen (Felicity Huffman) decide to drive to New York to reconnect with their adult sons, and in the process, they realize their sons are not the only ones whose lives need to change. A journey to relate becomes a journey of rediscovery that forces these women to redefine their relationships with their children, friends, spouses, and most importantly, themselves.
“Body at Brighton Rock” – Written and Directed by Roxanne Benjamin (Also Available on VOD)
“Body at Brighton Rock”
Wendy (Karina Fontes), a part-time summer employee at a mountainous state park, takes on a rough trail assignment at the end of the season, trying to prove to her friends that she’s capable enough to do the job. When she takes a wrong turn and ends up deep in the backcountry, she stumbles upon what might be a potential crime scene. Stuck with no communication after losing her radio and with orders to guard the site, Wendy must fight the urge to run and do the harder job of staying put — spending the night deep in the wilderness, facing down her worst fears and proving to everyone, including herself, that she’s made of stronger stuff than they think she is.
“If the Dancer Dances” (Documentary) – Directed by Maia Wechsler
“If the Dancer Dances” invites viewers into the intimate world of the dance studio. Stephen Petronio, one of today’s leading dance-makers, is determined to help his dancers breathe new life into RainForest (1968), an iconic work by the legendary choreographer Merce Cunningham. With help from three members of the former Cunningham company, the film tracks Petronio’s dancers as they strive to re-stage this great work, revealing what it takes to keep a dance — and a legacy — alive.
