Decision-making can be difficult at times. You face so many choices in a given day that by the time you sit down on your couch to watch something, it ends up being something you’ve seen about a hundred times. It’s easy, and you don’t really have to actively choose it. Sometimes you want to watch what someone else has decided is good for you. Pressure can also help make a decision easy when you have an impending deadline that you can clearly see. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with April’s best movies leaving Hulu.
The lineup of movies this month ranges from dark and moving to gritty and action-packed. Not a happy-go-lucky kind of month, minus the rather peaceful documentary that rounds out the end of this list. Despite their exterior, several of them will hit you in the feels rather unexpectedly. So what’s up first on the chopping block? Let’s dig in.
Filth (Apr. 14)
This is a weird movie, to be sure. If you love Trainspotting, you’ll at least like this one. It has a clever plot to it using the unreliable narrator technique. A film about Scotland by the same author, this one stars a police officer trying to make his way to chief inspector. He will win back his woman and turn his whole life around. The only problem in the way of all his hopes and dreams is that the man is a complete buffoon with a crippling sex addiction. One of those movies where you wonder if you’re even watching the good guy or just one man’s lonely trip down into madness. A smart script that ranges from hilarious irreverence to depressingly dark at a moment’s notice, this is worth the time if only to watch James McAvoy’s acting.
The Green Mile (Apr. 30)
Do you feel like being sad for 2 hours? We’ve got just the movie for you. This is a movie about the lives of two death row guards as they go about their jobs. Their lives change dramatically, however, when they encounter a man by the name of John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), who has been accused of the rape and murder of two young women. They soon discover, though, that he has the power to heal people and seemingly perform miracles. If you’re a fan of Shawshank Redemption, this has the same director, so you’re in for a very similar time.
Scarface (Apr. 30)
“Say goodnight to the bad guy!” This title earned the coveted X Rating, a rarity of 80’s feature films. The exclusive mark of a movie that the MPAA really hates belonging to extended porn and extreme violence. In short, a great film. This movie stars Al Pacino in perhaps his most memorable role as Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who comes to America and wants the world. It chronicles his rise to drug kingpin through an 80s montage, so you already know it’s a certified classic. Al Pacino, a believer in method acting, may or may not have been actually consuming as many drugs as his on-screen counterpart dedicated as he was to the role. Definitely a staple of the film, though, being one of the first real big bad-guy movies. When you think about shows like Breaking Bad, it all started right here.
Viva (Apr. 30)
Continuing on the Cuban theme, this is an interesting movie about a young man who finds great confidence in the world of drag. While he loves the work and is good at it, the wrinkle comes in when his father comes out of nowhere to express his disapproval of his chosen profession. Oddly enough, the film is directed by an Irishman despite being a Cuban film where they speak Spanish. The movie is primarily about their relationship, though, and how they start to reconnect after being estranged for so many years. If none of this interests you, the movie is also worth watching just for the cinematography. The sights and sounds of Havana are brought to life in this film in a way that you don’t often see in movies.
The Cable Guy (Apr. 30)
Most people will remember Jim Carrey as being a funny guy with good reason. Playing Ace Ventura can have that effect on a person’s legacy. But when you’re an actor, it’s important not to get too pigeonholed into doing one thing. You can lose your mojo if you never venture out of your comfort zone. That’s what Jim Carrey decided he would do with The Cable Guy. This movie is a bit like if Jim Carrey did one of his characters, but the bit goes on too long. That is to say, the weird eccentricities aren’t funny but instead take a darker twist. Suddenly the character from Dumb and Dumber is invading your privacy and won’t go home. This kind of one-sided relationship is probably more relevant today than when it was released, as it features a lonely man just desperately trying to make a friend, but he doesn’t exactly know how. It has shades of Ingrid Goes West in this way where it features a girl who will do anything to have a friend.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Apr. 30)
Lastly, this documentary follows a man considered by many to be the greatest sushi chef of all time. He was the first man ever to earn three Michelin stars at his restaurant in Japan. The movie follows his life and the legacy he was trying to leave behind for his son, whom he has to eventually entrust with his life’s work. It’s quite the journey to watch a man who has spent his whole life in pursuit of perfection in food only to humbly say he still has room to improve.
