The month of April gets a particularly bad rap. April Fool’s Day is only fun for that obnoxious uncle, the inane amount of rain we receive is not nearly worth the pittance of flowers we get in return, and for students, the threat of finals and the future in general — as another school year ends — looms menacingly.
But this year, April brings more than showers and flowers for us entertainment junkies in the form of music, literature, television and film. Here is a look at what you can look forward to this month.
Movies
“The Lost City of Z,” April 14
Based on David Grann’s best-selling novel of the same name, “The Lost City of Z” tells the true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett searching the Amazon for a legendary civilization. In 1925, Fawcett never returned and the movie seems to be a dramatic retelling of colonialism, for once, not winning.
“The Circle,” April 28
If you enjoyed Netflix’s mind-bending series “Black Mirror,” you’ll want to see “The Circle.” Emma Watson’s character lands a job at a huge tech/social media company and partakes in their groundbreaking experiment that eradicates personal privacy and ethics. I can’t imagine it ending well, but it’ll be a wild ride.
“Colossal,” April 7
Anne Hathaway is back. Reviews are looking good for this indie film’s quirky take on the giant monster genre. While mainly an exciting return for Hathaway, the movie still seems worth watching.
Music
“Humanz” by Gorillaz, April 28
The band’s first album since 2011, the cult favorite has had a lot of time to perfect these tracks and have starved fans of their alternative rock/electronic music long enough. This should be pretty good, considering they are scheduled to headline multiple festivals later this summer.
Some other albums to look out for include Diet Cig, Cold War Kids, Joey Bada$$, The Chainsmokers, John Mayer, Brad Paisley, and a few from artists we haven’t seen in forever, including Mary J. Blige, The Cranberries and Michelle Branch.
Coachella, April 14-16; 21-23
Speaking of music festivals, Coachella is only a few days away. With a lineup featuring Bastille, Lady Gaga, Schoolboy Q and more, Beyonce won’t be missed too much. Even if you don’t have tickets, videos of these performers will be must-sees for fans.
TV
“Veep,” April 16
The season six premiere airs April 16 with Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character Selina Meyers working through post-Presidency life. If you’re into cringeworthy, laugh-out-loud comedy, you should be catching up and watching this on HBO.
“American Playboy,” April 7
“American Playboy” is an Amazon docuseries on Hugh Hefner and the six decades he spent building his empire. Hefner teases audiences about his infamous life in the trailer saying, “You don’t know the half of it…” The shows focuses on not just the rise of Hef but the cultural atmosphere of America at the time as well, good for history buffs or anyone wanting to cover their bases on trivia night.
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” April 26
Political criticism aside (I mean come on Margaret Atwood wrote the novel in 1985), this dystopian horror series depicts a world where infertility is the norm. Women who can actually have children are forced into reproductive servitude. Everyone is already talking about this show, so do yourself a favor and catch it April 26, available only on Hulu.
