‘Morbius’ image courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation Ltd.
April begins with a bang as Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Requiem for a Dream) is the latest star joining the Marvel multiverse as Morbius (now showing), the living vampire. With origins in both the Spider-Man and Blade comics, could Leto be gearing up to go head-to-head with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker or somewhere down the line Mahershala Ali’s Blade (currently in development)? Daniel Espinosa directs this more-gory-than-glossy dive into the Marvel catalogue, and you may recognise that name as he directed the Jake Gyllenhaal-led Life (2017), about a space crew trying to survive an alien attack. You can expect more of that high octane thrill with Morbius, and if you need a primer, Gamespot Universe made a great video explaining Morbius’ origins a few years back.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ image courtesy of Paramount Pictures UK.
Have little ones to entertain this Easter holiday? On Friday Sonic the Hedgehog 2 whirls into our cinema, starring Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Colleen O’ Shaughnessey, Idris Elba and Jim Carrey. Faced with the return of Dr Robotnik, Sonic teams up with his sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find a precious jewel before it falls into the wrong hands. Don’t miss our Family Offer: tickets cost £15 for a family of three, or £20 for a family of four – find out more on our Offers page.
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore’ image courtesy of Warner Bros Entertainment UK Ltd.
From Fri 8 Apr Potter loyalists will be able to delve back into the history of their beloved characters once more. This time Jude Law (Closer, The Talented Mr Ripely) stars as young wizard Albus Dumbledore, leading the pack in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. The third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts series and the eleventh HP instalment overall, this time we journey to the 1930s to explore magical communities from all over the world – China, Bhutan, and Germany – all in the lead up to the Second World War. Also starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, and Mads Mikklesen, it’s another great choice for a family trip to the cinema this Easter break, and our Families Offer applies for all screenings of Fantastic Beasts before 5pm.
‘Compartment No. 6’ image courtesy of Artificial Eye Film Co. Ltd.
If the entire wizarding world is perhaps too much for you to catch up on by Friday, we’re also screening the intimate drama Compartment No 6 from Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen. Winner of the Cannes Grand Prix 2021 (previous winners of the prize include the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis and Mati Diop’s Atlantiques), Compartment No 6 follows a young Finnish woman who, after escaping an enigmatic love affair with her college professor in Moscow, finds herself sharing a small train compartment with a gruff Russian miner as they head to the arctic port of Murmansk. The Guardian featured an enlightening interview with Kuosmanen, in which Peter Bradshaw described the film as ‘the Finnish answer to Lost in Translation‘.
‘The Northman’ image courtesy of Universal Pictures Int (UK).
Now comes one of the big independent film events of the year with Robert Eggers’ The Northman (Fri 15 Apr). The beloved arthouse director and A24 darling who helmed The Witch (2015) starring Anya Taylor-Joy and The Lighthouse (2019) starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, has made a name for himself with elevated-horror. However, The Northman promises a different tone with a Nordic ode to Hollywood’s Gladiator (2000). An epic revenge thriller in which a Viking prince (Alexander Skarsgaard, of Big Little Lies and Passing) seeks to avenge his murdered father (Ethan Hawke), watch The Northman trailer to preview its epic battle scenes and historical accuracy, filmed across a gruelling 87 day shoot. The bumper cast includes Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe and Björk! Skarsgaard recently gave an interview to The Times, detailing his prolific and at times meandering career, read it in preparation for whats sure to be one of the biggest film events of 2022.
‘Connie’ image courtesy of Women of the Lens Film Festival.
At the end of the month Women of the Lens Film Festival returns, with a programme showcasing the creativity of Black women filmmakers. Founded by Jenifer G. Robinson, it was created because the representation of Black women in the UK film industries remains stubbornly low. The festival aims to highlight the complexity, diversity and multiplicities of Black women, which is ordinarily overlooked in the conventional media-sphere. The 17 films featured in the festival have been curated into seven themes; Sankofa Women, Roll Call, The Future’s Here, Love Incommunicado, The Strength Of Acceptance, Documenting Justice and Advertising Race. Find out more about the Women of the Lens programme.
Words by Rōgan Graham.
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