The best fresh movies coming in spring 2024

Spring isn’t just a transitional time for the weather and for gardens — it’s a major transitional time for fresh movie releases. Studios usually devote January and any of February to wide releases of all the Oscar-bait prestige movies that got tiny awards-qualification releases in December, and to dumping the smaller movies they have no religion in. And by the beginning of May, the first circular of summertime blockbuster madness will hit.

But in between, there’s an anything-goes window for theatrical releases that frequently means any of the year’s most unpredictable films, whether it’s a horror movie about a 12-year-old vampire ballerina, a romanticist sports dramedy featuring Zendaya in a three-way relationship, or a straight-faced but surreal image about sasquatches frolicking in the Pacific Northwest. The next fewer months in movies are going to be strange. Here’s what Polygon is looking forward to most:

La Chimera

Release date: In theaters March 29

La Chimera follows a band of lovable hooligans in the hills of Italy in the 1970s, who sale statues they find in the country’s many random tombs to make their living. Beautiful, sweet, and amazingly hilarious, La Chimera is 1 of the most interesting and unique movies of 2024. —Austen Goslin

The Wages of Fear

Image: Netflix

Release date: On Netflix March 29

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s first The Wages of Fear is 1 of the most influential thrillers of all time, winning the Palme d’Or in 1953 and spawning multiple remakes and countless homages. The movie follows a group of truckers who are hired for a dangerous mission with deadly cargo. Chaos and tension ensues. This is the 3rd remake, but the first to come from France, with action-thriller specialist Julien Leclercq (Braqueurs, Sentinelle) directing and compelling action star Alban Lenoir as 1 of the leads. —Pete Volk

Baby Assassins 2

Image: Well Go USA Entertainment

Release date: On digital and Blu-ray April 2

My excitement for this movie is well documented. Baby Assassins was 1 of my favourite movies of 2022, and I have been waiting with bated breath for the sequel. The franchise follows 2 teenage assassins who alternate between expressions of angst and murder. It is delightful, and contains any of the best action you’ll find in modern movies. —PV

The Beast

Image: Janus Films

Release date: In theaters April 5

How much of your life have you lived before? The Beast is simply a sci-fi movie set in a planet where emotions have become dangerous, but people can search their past lives to purge them of those deadly feelings. But erstwhile Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) undergoes the procedure, she keeps uncovering a connection to the same man (George MacKay) over and over again in all life. —AG

Girls State

Image: Apple tv Plus

Release date: On Apple tv Plus April 5

2020’s Boys State was 1 of that year’s best documentaries, following 4 participants in the Texas chapter of the American Legion event colloquially called Boys State: a weeklong program where advanced schoolers convene to build a typical government from the ground up. Girls State is directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s follow-up, moving from Texas to Missouri and following the complementary Girls State conference. (There are besides co-ed Boys/Girls State versions held in any states; possibly that’ll be a 3rd film?) Much like Boys State, Girls State promises to be a way to look at our political processes sideways, through the eyes of young people learning to participate in them. In an election year, it’s something worth looking at through fresh eyes. —Joshua Rivera

Monkey Man

Image: Universal Pictures

Release date: In theaters April 5

Dev Patel got tired of waiting for individual to ask him to kick ass in a movie, so he made one. Backed by maker Jordan Peele, Monkey Man sees Patel kicking ass in fight clubs, regular clubs, kitchens, and all another place 1 might throw hands as they look for revenge on the rich bastards bleeding their hometown dry. Here’s hoping the movie hits hard and never lets up until the credits roll. —JR

The First Omen

Release date: In theaters April 5

After dubious and poorly executed revival The Exorcist: Believer, The First Omen looks like a breath of fresh air: a restrained, stylish intellectual horror prequel that most likely doesn’t request to exist, sure, but looks damn creepy. The premise is about as straightforward as it gets — an American female off to Rome to become a nun (Nell Tiger Free) stumbles upon a game to bring distant the Antichrist. Fortunately, game isn’t truly the star here, vibes are, and the vibes? They’re… well, if they were immaculate, it wouldn’t be the Antichrist, would it? —JR

Godzilla x Kong: The fresh Empire

Image: Legendary

Release date: In theaters April 12

My man Kong has a robot power glove. My homie ’Zilla has gone Super Saiyan Rosé. The Earth? She’s hollow, and bad things are pouring out of it. erstwhile Georges Méliès was out there in France, pushing the boundaries of cinema, this was the crap he dreamed of. Why wouldn’t you be there first day? —JR

Civil War

Image: A24

Release date: In theaters April 12

By all accounts, Alex Garland’s latest provocation-as-cinema isn’t the movie you might think it is. A war movie set against a backdrop that places a firm finger on American cultural force points, Civil War will likely inspire many arguments among those who see it, and hopefully more than a fewer of those will be worth having. The alternate is — well, that’s what the movie’s about. —JR

Arcadian

Image: RLJE Films

Release date: In theaters April 12

Advance reviews out of SXSW have warned Nicolas Cage fans to anticipate dialed-down, serious Cage from this post-apocalyptic horror movie, not manic, screaming Cage. That isn’t a bad thing, but it’s always best to set expectations before going in, since Cage’s modes are so different. In this case, he’s playing dad and protector to 2 teenage boys (Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins) after murderous creatures destruct most of life on Earth — or is any of that true? The first trailer lands on an intriguing line somewhere between the breathless horror of A Quiet Place and the more intellectual conundrums of Frailty. —Tasha Robinson

Sasquatch Sunset

Image: Bleecker Street

Release date: In limited theaters April 12, released wide April 19

Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner star as a household of sasquatches in this surreal comedy. Amid the picturesque scenery of the Pacific Northwest, there’s besides any Bigfoot sex in the trailer, so prepare yourself for that. —Petrana Radulovic

Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver

Image: Netflix

Release date: On Netflix April 19

What started as a Zack Snyder Star Wars movie has turned into a two-part first Netflix space opera, with a promised R-rated extended cut at any point this year. After the first part received largely negative reviews, here’s hoping the second part is an improvement. The good news: Trailers promise the climactic conflict the first movie led up to. —PV

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Photo: Daniel Smith/Lionsgate

Release date: In theaters April 19

Guy Ritchie’s been on a bit of a heater recently. The Covenant and Wrath of Man are 2 of the very best projects he’s always worked on, his tv version of The Gentlemen is way better than his movie of the same name, and I’ll even lightly defend the highly silly Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. Now Ritchie turns his sights to a period piece, with a planet War II spy comedy featuring a star-studded cast and plenty of Nazi-killing action. What more could you want? —PV

Abigail

Release date: In theaters April 19

A bloodthirsty vampire who besides happens to be a 12-year-old girl and a ballerina just sounds like a good time. And she enjoys playing with (tormenting) her food! With a stacked cast including Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, and Giancarlo Esposito, Abigail has a lot to play with… —PR

Challengers

Image: MGM

Release date: In theaters April 26

Zendaya Spring continues, with something very tonally different from her starring function in Dune: Part Two: a sports comedy slash love triangle slash possibly sex comedy? Zendaya plays a erstwhile tennis superstar turned coach who’s trying to pull her husband, Art (West Side Story’s Mike Faist), a celebrated player on a losing streak, out of his funk by pitting him against her ex, Patrick (The Crown’s Josh O’Connor) — seemingly both on the court and in the sack, if the trailer’s tease of a threesome offers any clues. The latest from Call Me by Your Name and Bones and All manager Luca Guadagnino looks beautiful spicy, at least in terms of how it mixes up sexual competition and sports competition. —TR

Humane

Image: IFC Films

Release date: In theaters April 26

Another of David Cronenberg’s children has moved into solo horror directing: Photographer and music-video manager Caitlin Cronenberg makes her feature directorial debut with this dark satire where a global ecological collapse leads to a plan to euthanize 20% of the population. 1 rich man (Peter Gallagher) decides to enroll in the plan; his adult children have another ideas. The trailer feels arch and threatening at the same time, more like The Menu than most Shudder-sponsored horror. —TR

The thought of You

Photo: Alisha Wetherill/Prime

Release date: On Prime Video May 2

Is this movie actually Harry Styles fanfiction come to life? possibly it is. Whatever the case, seeing Anne Hathaway in a romanticist comedy is delightful and I simply want her to be happy. And hey, if that’s with Red, White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine, then so be it! — PR

The Fall Guy

Image: Universal

Release date: In theaters May 3

Fresh off Barbie buzz, what does Ryan Gosling do next? Why, an ode to stunt craftsmanship, directed by erstwhile stuntman David Leitch, of course! The Fall Guy looks like an absolutely delightful summertime blockbuster anchored by 2 of our most charming movie stars (Emily Blunt stars other Gosling). —PV

I Saw the tv Glow

Image: A24

Release date: In theaters May 3

Jane Schoenbrun’s first movie, the ultra-low-fi creepypasta-inspired horror movie We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, drew plenty of attention erstwhile it debuted in 2022, mostly for the way it channels the queasy, dreamy feeling of being up way besides late at night, uncovering a sense of community on the net and not wanting to come back to the real world. Their follow-up feature feels like a more intense, action-oriented riff on the same idea, as 2 friends (Brigette Lundy-Paine and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves co-star Justice Smith) obsess over a defunct late-night tv show that seems to offer a window into another world. As they dig deeper into the show, they find reality blurring around them. —TR

Cuckoo

Image: Neon

Release date: In theaters May 3

Euphoria’s huntsman Schafer stars in the latest Neon provocation, about a 17-year-old girl pulled into an uncomfortable and possibly untenable household situation in a distant German resort. The initial teaser is all nerve-shredding music and striking images, but the plot, which has Schafer’s character bristling over a seeming threat to her mute half-sister at their father’s mountain getaway, sounds intrigue-heavy and like it could go in any number of unpredictable directions. —TR

Tarot

Photo: Slobodan Pikula/Screen Gems

Release date: In theaters May 3

The authoritative description of this horror movie centers on a group of friends that “recklessly violates the sacred regulation of Tarot readings,” which is seemingly “never usage individual else’s deck.” As a result, the cards start showing dark fates that they conflict to avoid. Sounds like Final Destination with an occult twist, but the trailer has a much more Talk to Me vibe, with young people treating the supernatural as a organization game, then facing the consequences. —TR

Back to Black

Photo: Dean Rogers/Focus Features

Release date: In theaters May 17

A biopic on the tragic life of Amy Winehouse, Back to Black looks like 1 of 2024’s most devastating movies. But if the movie manages to celebrate the throwback singer’s tremendous talent and voice as well, then it could besides be something incredible, too. —AG

IF

Image: Paramount

Release date: In theaters May 17

Earlier in March, Lionsgate released Imaginary, a “mess of a horror movie” about an evil imaginary friend. Here is simply a very different take on the burgeoning “imaginary friend” genre, directed by John Krasinski and starring Ryan Reynolds. IF follows a young girl (Cailey Fleming) who can see people’s abandoned imaginary friends, and who bonds with a man (Reynolds) who has the same ability. —PV

The Strangers: Chapter 1

Image: Lionsgate

Release date: In theaters May 17

Who knew a simple 2008 horror movie about a couple being menaced by masked slashers in a distant compartment had the possible to launch a cinematic universe? Brace yourself for a full wave of Strangers content, starting with this prequel to The Strangers, helmed by Deep Blue Sea, Mindhunters, and Cutthroat Island manager Renny Harlin. The simple premise sounds precisely like the first movie — isolated cabin, masked slashers, worried couple, etc. — but maker Courtney Solomon has promised that this movie and Harlin’s sequels Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, both planned for later in 2024, will “really grow that world,” and focus more on intellectual character survey than just slashing. —TR

Furiosa

Image: Warner Bros.

Release date: In theaters May 24

Even though the modern media scenery is filled to the brim with unnecessary prequels, sequels, spinoffs, reboots, and more, Mad Max: Fury Road was a certified masterpiece. So if we’re getting more of Furiosa and more of George Miller’s take on the Mad Max world, possibly this prequel will actually shine. —PR

The Garfield Movie

Image: Sony Pictures

Release date: In theaters May 24

Garfield is back, and this time he’s going on a heist with Odie. Chris Pratt voices the lasagna-loving cat (there are rather a fewer lasagna gags in the trailer), while Harvey Guillén voices Odie. Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Ving Rhames, Hannah Waddingham, Cecily Strong, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, and Snoop Dogg (playing Snoop Catt) circular out a stacked voice cast. —PV

Atlas

Photo: Ana Carballosa/Netflix

Release date: On Netflix May 24

Given how much horror and discipline fiction both reflect society’s current anxieties, anticipate a immense wave of fear-driven movies with AI antagonists or AI-centric plots to come rolling along in the next decade, as concerns over new uses of AI in all sector of society proceed to spread. In this discipline fiction movie, Jennifer Lopez stars as Atlas, a data analyst who profoundly distrusts AI, but may gotta work with a renegade robot to survive. —TR

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Image: 20th Century Fox

Release date: In theaters May 24

In this 4th iteration in the latest version of the Planet of the Apes franchise, the monkeys have yet taken over the world, and Freya Allan (The Witcher) is 1 of the fewer remaining humans left on Earth. The series has always had awesome action, and this fresh installment being a endurance movie seems like the perfect direction for the series. —AG

Robot Dreams

Image: Neon

Release date: In theaters May 31

The mysterious 5th entry in this year’s Oscar for Best Animated Feature is only just getting a wide release. Without any dialogue, Robot Dreams tells a beautiful communicative of relationship between a lonely dog and his robot pal, showing how relationships change with seasons of life. It’s beautifully evocative and may just have you tearing up next time you hear “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. —PR