April felt like a bit of a step down after the Oscar run, with plenty to enjoy but fewer standouts overall. The month leaned heavily into dark comedies, dystopian themes, and offbeat storytelling, with a mix of interesting ideas and uneven execution. A handful of watches delivered solid entertainment and memorable moments, but many landed more in the “good, not great” range, with a few clear misses dragging down the average. You can check out what I have been watching here.
Alone - Season 11
Lizzie and I first discovered the show Alone in 2020, with the launch of its 5th season. We have enjoyed getting under blankets, turning on the fire, and watching Alone. An actual survival show where your skills and mental aptitude are at the forefront. There are far fewer contestants than wilderness experts testing their limits. It has always been an amazing test of strength and fortitude.
4 out of 5
DTF St. Louis
A heartfelt black comedy about exploration, love, and death. The trailers for this show pitch it as a comedy. After the first episode, it begins to split its time between a great dark comedy and a murder mystery to the likes of True Detective Season 1. It will make you laugh, and it will hopefully make you feel something. A true inspiration for brotherly love. Well worth the watch.
4 out of 5
Big Mistakes - Season 1
Dan Levy is at it again, creating a hilarious show. While Shits Creek is geared towards a PG-13 audience, Big Mistakes is much more adult. It’s frantic, manic, and a great dark comedy. I enjoyed every character and Laurie Metcalf knocked it out of the park. It’s a quick watch with a surprising ending, setting up season 2.
3.5 out of 5
Dust Bunny
Who does not want more Mads Mikkelsen?! Dust Bunny is about a little girl whose parents are taken by a monster. She then hires a local hitman/assassin to help her get her parents back. It is a whimsical murder mystery inspired by storytellers like Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss, with whimsy and color. My only qualm about the film is that the Dust Bunny monster is nearly 100% computer generated. This film would have been rated higher if it had been done in the vein of a Jim Henson production.
3.5 out of 5
Prometheus
This is a multi-view for me. I saw it originally in theatres and own it on Blu-ray. Lizzie fell asleep, and I was not tired but super comfortable on the couch and thought to myself, “I have not watched this in a minute, and I love Sci-fi. So I turned on Prometheus. I enjoy the art direction, the story, and the hopelessness of the entire mess.
3.5 out of 5
The Long Walk
Stephen King’s short story turned into a feature film. An extremely dystopian America where 100 boys have to walk 4 mph, or they die till the last man is standing. It was hard to watch at times, yet very engaging. The movie is more about the journey than the ending, because you know where it’s going to go. It felt a bit geared towards a younger Hot Topic crowd than adults, but the characters were engaging, and Mark Hamill plays a great villain.
3.5 out of 5
Neighbors
An A24 series that explores real-life neighbors in America. It encapsulates almost every aspect of the degradation of the American mind. It should be viewed as a horror film and at times felt like exploitation. An absolutely interesting watch, like a slow-motion car wreck or a “I can’t believe this is real” type of watch.
3.5 out of 5
Trevor Noah: Joy in the Trenches
I enjoy Trevor Noah quite a bit. I saw him live once at the Chicago Theatre and have always loved his political take. As American politics are shifting to authoritarianism and anarchy, he takes a step back and riffs on the absurdity of it all. I believe other comedians like Marc Maron and even Bill Burr have encapsulated the pressure of it all a bit better, but Noah has a very unique take. Having spent so much time with geopolitics through The Daily Show, and not being an American-born, allows him to showcase a bit of an outsider-looking-in perspective.
3 out of 5
Good Fortune
I watched this on a plane. Nothing to do visually, so it seemed like a good fit. The story is told time after time, where you can see what your life would be like in another person’s shoes.’ The fun twist is that the poor and downtrodden do not want to go back to being poor and downtrodden. It has a few good laughs and is worth a watch on a plane.
2.5 out of 5
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Leena absolutely loved the first FNaF, and when the second became available to stream, we watched it. She laughed a ton, she caught all the little easter eggs and the bits and bobs that are just lost on me as I get older. I would have loved it if my parents had sat down and watched a movie I was excited about. It happened a few times, and I remember them fondly. Hopefully, she does too. FNaF 2 is fine, it’s a children’s horror movie; take that what you will.
2.5 out of 5
Crime 101
This is a giant nothing burger. Originally pitched as a full-length film for theatres, it missed its short run, and we watched it on Amazon Prime. I am very thankful that we did not pay to watch Crime 101. It was nothing like the trailer, and the characters were wet noodles. A crusty cop has a hunch on jewel heists - cops and robbers ensue. If you want to spend your time with a good Mark Ruffalo crime experience, check out Task.
2 out of 5
Roofman
I have found Channing Tatum funny in most of the comedies he has starred in. I reference 21 Jump Street often, and he plays great bit parts in some big movies (Deadpool, Hateful 8, This is the End). I found the Roofman to be sterile. While based on true events, the entire thing felt like a Rom-Com they could show at Bible study. So if you are looking for a sweet movie to watch with your mom, Roofman is it!
2 out of 5