Favorite First-Time Watches of April 2026
As everyone knows, my favorite thing to do is recommend movies. Bonus if it’s a movie you haven’t heard of. So, once a month, I recommend a handful of movies I watched last month that I recommend you check out.
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026) – BenDavid Grabinski
Two gangsters have the most important night of their lives with the woman they love. I don’t want to say much more because, about 20 minutes in, it takes a turn you wouldn’t expect.
It’s a blast, great action/comedy. Starring Vince Vaughn and James Marsden, with a perfect lynchpin of Eiza Gonzalez as the love interest. If you’re looking for a fun 107 minutes, check this one out on Hulu.
Fitzcarraldo (1982) – Werner Herzog
Brian Fitzgerald wants to bring the opera to the small Peruvian town where he lives. To do that, he must make a lot of money in the rubber business. But the only land not bought by a big company is inaccessible. But Brian devises a plan.
In a moment when art imitates life, Brian pulls a steamship over a mountain to reach the only rubber trees not yet harvested. Werner decides actually to pull a ship over the mountain. It really is a sight to behold.
Faces of Death (2026) – Daniel Goldhaber
The original Faces of Death is a mondo horror film. Realistic deaths are captured on film, except that it’s all fake. Daniel’s smart “remake” isn’t just a remake. But follows a man obsessed with the film and recreates the killings in the original, for real.
All is discovered by Barbie Ferreira, who is a content monitor for a social media website and keeps coming across these videos. When no one will listen to her, she begins her own investigation.
Maybe the film is a bit didactic, but it works, especially with the ending, which caps off the entire film’s message perfectly while also feeling like it’s how it would play out in real life.
Last Summer (1969) – Frank Perry
Sandy, Dan, and Peter spend a summer on an island in New York. While Sandy relishes the sexual advances from both men, they all meet Rhoda. Rhoda becomes a pawn in the games of the three rich kids.
The genius of Frank’s film is presenting Sandy, Dan, and Peter as banal rather than actual villainy. Sandy knows that for Rhoda, it’s either loneliness or their “companionship”. It leads to Rhoda’s boundaries continually being pushed. The ending feels inevitable, like a car crash that you cannot do anything to stop.
I Swear (2025) – Kirk Jones
A biographical film about John Davidson, who struggled with Tourette syndrome and eventually became an advocate for the condition, doing so much good that he was eventually named to the MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).
This film flew onto everyone’s radar after Robert Aramayo won the BAFTA for Best Actor over an incredibly competitive line-up. The film was not eligible for the Oscars in 2025 because it had not been released in the US.
Now that it has, I hope Robert stays in the Best Actor conversation till next Oscars. He’s remarkable in this film. As is Maxine Peake as Dottie, she’s the heart of the film.
Eight Men Out (1988) – John Sayles
John Sayles’ biographical drama about the 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal. A group of gamblers/gangsters convinces some of Chicago’s best athletes to throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Sayles is an underrated filmmaker. His writing is honest and genuine. Of course, the film will have a certain point of view, but giving these men empathy and understanding. Also showing how far the scandal went and the number of people behind the scenes who never got so much as a slap on the wrist.
