Hit the local cinemas and get your entertainment fix with our list of the best movies to watch on the big screen this spring.
Pig
A truffle hunter’s lonely but peaceful existence in the Oregonian wilderness is interrupted when his beloved foraging pig is kidnapped, forcing him to return to his chequered past in Portland. Starring the incomparable Nicolas Cage, this intimate character study covers human foibles from nostalgia to daddy issues and showcases the phenomenal emotional range of an incredibly versatile actor.
Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
In the summer of 1969, the same year as the famous Woodstock Festival, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival. Yet despite drawing crowds on par with Woodstock and legendary performers including Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder and BB King, the festival was virtually ignored by mainstream media. Using historical footage from the festival, this documentary-cum-concert-film ponders the question of why such an event fell into obscurity, more relevant than ever in today’s political climate.
The Duke
Based on true events, this uplifting comedy-drama starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren tells the story of Kempton Bunton, a 60-year-old taxi driver who stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London’s National Gallery in 1961. Bunton held the painting hostage, sending ransom notes for its return to the government, on condition of better care for the elderly, and the events that followed became the stuff of legend.
No Time to Die
This fifth and final outing for ‘James Blond’ Daniel Craig sees his super spy enjoying a quiet life in Jamaica after having left active service. Things are never that easy for 007, however, and when an old CIA friend turns up asking for help to rescue a kidnapped scientist, Bond is dragged into a mission to stop a villain armed with dangerous new technology that could cause the death of millions.
Miss
In France, 2004, 9-year-old boy Alex dreams of one day entering the Miss France beauty pageant and winning the crown. 15 years later, after the loss of his parents and several blows to his self confidence, a chance encounter reawakens Alex’s determination to achieve his dream. A modern Cinderella story where both prince and princess are one, this is a lighthearted drama about accepting who you are and striving for what you want against all odds.
The Rose Maker
Eve, a passionate rose-grower used to living and working on her own, faces dire straits when a powerful competitor threatens to acquire her business. Three new workers recruited from a back-to-work programme could prove to be the answer to all her problems, except that they don’t know anything about growing roses, or, really, anything at all. This French comedy-drama starring Catherine Frot highlights the shared humanity and potential for friendship in the most unlikely of places.
Lamb
The bounding, bleating symbols of spring are made scary as all heck in this supernatural Icelandic horror. A childless couple in rural Iceland discover an unnatural creature in their sheep barn and take it under their wing, only to find that defying the will of nature has its own consequences.
Persian Lessons
A young Belgian man, Gilles, escapes execution at a Nazi concentration camp by convincing the guards that he is Persian, not Jewish. But it is only a temporary salvation – the officer in charge of the camp’s kitchen, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran, demands that Gilles teach him Farsi, and as Gilles attempts to invent a language and teach it at the same time, suspicion and jealousy among the camp threatens to expose his lie.
Juniper
Sam is a Kiwi teenager on a path of self-destruction, returned home from boarding school to find that his crotchety, gin-soaked grandmother Ruth has moved in. Left mostly alone together during the school holidays, the battle of wills that ensues might just teach Sam to embrace life while helping Ruth to confront death.
The Boss Baby: Family Business
A fun and heartfelt family movie with plenty of laughs for kids and adults alike, this sequel sees the Templeton brothers all grown up and not quite as close as they once were, but they’ll have to deal with their issues like toddlers when a secret formula transforms them into babies for 48 hours.
Julia
This cheerful, light and bright documentary chronicles the life and legacy of beloved chef and television star Julia Child, and the enormous impact she had on the way Americans thought about food, television and women. With new archival footage, personal photos, and plenty of mouthwatering food shots, this is a delicious documentary that goes down a treat.
Halloween Kills
Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle and Judy Greer are back to continue the story left off at the end of 2018’s Halloween, with Curtis’ Laurie being rushed to hospital after finally defeating her lifelong tormentor. Or so she thinks. When Michael Myers escapes to resume his rampage, the whole town of Haddonfield rises up to help Laurie and her family end his evil once and for all.
The Ice Road
In this chilly action thriller, Liam Neeson plays Mike, a Canadian ice driver recently fired from his job at a trucking company for punching another driver. Needing work for himself and his brother, Mike joins a rescue mission heading out across treacherous terrain to rescue a team of workers trapped in a collapsed mine.
Free Guy
What happens when a bank teller living his life on autopilot finds out he’s a background character in a rather brutal video game? Well, he decides to become the hero, of course. Ryan Reynolds is your lovable action banker in this comedy action film that combines self-aware humour and frivolous fun to make for a ripping good time.
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
The latest from the powerhouse studios of Marvel follows Shang-Chi, expert martial artist and son of the leader of the sinister Ten Rings organisation. Shang-Chi and his sister are drawn into the Ten Rings web on a search for a mythical village, a mission that will force Shang-Chi to confront the past he thought he’d left behind.