With awards season in the rear-view mirror and all the Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas bagged for another year, the film world can stop the back-slapping and return to its primary function, entertaining its audiences.

In April, there’s something for everyone as we welcome a new chapter in the Mario cinematic universe and say hello to Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in a romantic comedy called The Drama. There’s a Mummy reboot and Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James star in an action thriller, Fuze. 

Here’s our experts’ selection of the ten best films to watch this month.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The first Super Mario Bros Movie smashed box-office records when it was released in 2023, making a massive $1.3 billion. Can the Italian plumbers do it again? This time, the pair meet and befriend Yoshi as they join Princess Peach and Toad on a galactic adventure that will see them take on Bowser and his son, voiced by Benny Safdie. New voice actors include Donald Glover as Yoshi and Brie Larson as Rosalina. 
In UK and US cinemas from April 1

The Drama

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson team up for this romantic comedy with a twist. They are a happy couple, living a seemingly happy life, but then, days before their wedding, the relationship is shaken when one partner discovers uncomfortable truths about the other. So far, none of the promotional material has revealed what the twist is.
In UK and US cinemas from April 3

You, Me & Tuscany

How about a trip to Italy courtesy of this new romantic comedy? The film tells the story of a young cook named Anna (Halle Bailey) who makes a decision to become a squatter in an abandoned Tuscan villa owned by a man she doesn’t know. Naturally, she falls for the homeowner’s cousin, played by the Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page. 
In UK and US cinemas from April 10

Fuze

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James lead the cast of this action thriller about the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb on a busy construction site in the centre of London. Cue a mass evacuation and ticking clock. Amid all the chaos, though, a criminal team sees an opportunity: a chance to use the rising mania as a disguise for a heist.
In UK cinemas from April 3, in US cinemas from April 24

California Schemin’ 

James McAvoy’s directorial debut is a musical biopic that tells the outrageous story of a pair of young men — Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, from Dundee in Scotland — who convinced the industry and public that they were American to gain credibility in the rap industry and ended up touring with Eminem. Based on Bain’s 2010 memoir California Schemin’: How Two Lads from Scotland Conned the Music Industry, this is quite the rollercoaster.
In UK cinemas from April 10, US cinema release tbc

The Wizard of the Kremlin 

Jude Law plays Vladimir Putin in this historical drama about the making of modern Russia. Adapted from Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 novel of the same name, this movie focuses on the relationship between Putin and his most devoted adviser, Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano).
In UK cinemas from April 17, US cinema release tbc

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy 

In this reimagining of the wildly popular Mummy franchise, it’s time for more supernatural horror and surprises. Written and directed by the Irish film-maker and horror specialist Lee Cronin, the film tells the story of the young daughter of a journalist who goes missing without a trace in the desert. When the girl miraculously appears eight years later, what should be a joyful reunion turns into a true nightmare for the family. Jack Reynor, Laia Costa and May Calamawy star.
In UK and US cinemas from April 17

Michael

Michael Jackson gets the biopic treatment with this movie, produced by Graham King, who was also behind Bohemian Rhapsody. The King of Pop’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, plays him as the film traces Michael’s life “from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fuelled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world”.
In UK and US cinemas from April 24

Glenrothan

Brian Cox makes his directorial debut with this film set in the actor’s native Scotland. He stars alongside Alan Cumming as brothers who have not spoken to each other for many years. Sandy (Cox) runs a family distillery in the Scottish Highlands, Donal (Cumming) a music club in Chicago. But when the American venue is destroyed in a fire, Donal decides to head back to Scotland to see if there is any chance to renew family bonds. 
In UK and US cinemas from April 17

Rose of Nevada 

The Cornish film-maker Mark Jenkin directs this ghost story set in a fishing village. Callum Turner and George MacKay star as two men who join the crew of a fishing vessel that has mysteriously come back to shore after a long absence at sea. When they return from the voyage, the pair realise that they have journeyed three decades back in time to 1993, when the local fishing community was booming. Mistaken for the original crew, the duo must adapt to their new life. 
In UK cinemas from April 24, in US cinemas from June 19