Nate at the Movies: April 2026 Roundup 🍿

Hey, Reader! Welcome back to another month of movies. Let's find you something worth watching.

🌟 This Month's Must-See Movies

Over Your Dead Body (2026)

Usually I put my top-ranked new release from the month here in the primo spot, but everyone already knows about Michael. This is a great space to talk about the incredibly creative, funny, and snappy Over Your Dead Body, which is going to get slept on and it's a darn shame. Jason Segel at his finest, and he's surprisingly a great fit for horror!

"I don’t usually come out of horror movies wanting to see them again anytime soon, but you could stick me in that same theater tomorrow night and I’d be game".

Read the full review

Michael (2026)

I don't know why this movie has so many haters. Sure, it's sanitized, but they're clearly saving the scandals and controversy for Part 2 (also, they got legally blocked from showing some of it here). The first half of the Michael Jackson film experience was electric, and Jaafar Jackson gave a performance only family could possibly muster. Let's get him into the Oscar race!

Read the full review

The Drama (2026)

It was predestined that a Zendaya-Pattinson-led wedding drama was going to work on me. Throw in some really awkward humor and a twist that's sure to leave every viewer reeling (and talking after the movie), and you've got a banger on your hands.

Read the full review

💎 My Favorite First-Time Watches This Month

I got to go see Speed Racer (2008) in IMAX, and my brain chemistry has been forever altered. I had no idea movies could look like this, and it was impressive that a movie so sugary and gorgeous also had an engaging family story and a slick anti-billionaire message. This was the most surprising entry into the 5-Star Club to date.

I seem to historically watch a Cartoon Saloon movie once a year, and I was past due. Wolfwalkers (2020) actually became my favorite movie from the studio by showcasing the best animation, story, and character development I've seen from them so far. Cartoon Saloon is a force to be reckoned with.

I watched Sorry to Bother You (2018) in preparation for Boots Riley's I Love Boosters, and if you've seen it, you probably know how unprepared I was for the craziness of this story. Please go into this blind if you haven't seen it before; your jaw will be on the ground sooner than later (plus, it's pretty funny).

🎯 Works in Progress

Adaptation Appreciation (4/12): This month's read was Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, a harrowing personal account of the 1996 Everest disaster. I'm not sure which was more terrifying between the book and the movie, but Krakauer's penchant for character balance and emotional resonance (and the movie's ability to do the same) have made me quite a fan of his.

MCU (29/37): This month, I watched Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (and absolutely hated it) and Thor: Love and Thunder (which I liked more than the haters had led me to believe I would). Truly, Doctor Strange 2: Multiverse Boogaloo was terrible, becoming one of my least favorite movies of all time. These throwaway phases of the MCU can't end soon enough.

Star Wars (15.2/19): This month, I finished The Book of Boba Fett—which stayed boring—and watched all of Ahsoka, which I quite enjoyed because Ahsoka is my favorite Star Wars character (I know, hot take). I've also started and finished Season 3 of The Mandalorian, and I ended up liking it almost as much as Season 2. A pretty good show, now that I'm at the end of it!

Harry Potter (1/8): In anticipation of the new (maybe unnecessary) Harry Potter reboot series, Morgan and I began rewatching the original movies, and the plan is to watch one a month until December. The Sorcerer's Stone (erm, *Philosopher's* Stone) was just as magical as I remember it being, and those kids were just so darn cute! These will be really fun to revisit before the series either blows them out of the water or ruins the stories' reputation.

🎶 While I Wasn't At The Movies

If you were a fan of Ted Lasso during Covid and you didn't start watching Shrinking afterward, you're going to need to clear your schedule. The show just finished its third season, and it does everything that Ted Lasso did so well—emotionally dense, routinely hilarious hopecore—while swapping the soccer for therapists. The cast is amazing—Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, and Harrison Ford!—and it'll leave you laughing and crying and wanting to be a better person.

🚨 Next Month's Movie Radar

We're finally getting into summer blockbuster season, so there's a ton to watch. Given my Star Wars marathon, I'm most excited for The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026), but there's a ton more to look forward to.

I'm also stoked for I Love Boosters (2026), especially after how much I loved Sorry to Bother You. I can't imagine it gets crazier than that movie, but Boots may very well prove me wrong.

From legacy sequels (The Devil Wears Prada 2) to indie horror (Backrooms, Obsession) and Netflix wild cards (Swapped, Remarkably Bright Creatures), there's going to be something for everyone—and a whole lot for me!