A fresh wave of entertainment is set to hit screens and speakers this week, offering everything from Michael B. Jordan lending his voice to a tiny woodland creature in the animated film Swapped to the highly anticipated seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere, from Kacey Musgraves.
Viewers can also look forward to a television adaptation of Isabel Allende’s beloved novel The House of the Spirits on Prime Video, the anime sensation Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc on Crunchyroll, and two new projects starring Matthew Rhys: the thriller ‘Hallow Road’ and the Apple TV+ horror comedy Widow’s Bay.
Among the new films available to stream from 27 April to 3 May, Emerald Fennell’s loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights arrives on HBO Max on 1 May. Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Catherine and Heathcliff, the hyper-stylised film aims to explore pent-up desires. However, an Associated Press review noted: “There are myriad pleasures to be had in the bold, absurd pageantry and devilish scheming. Yet for all the big swings, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights amounts to something oddly shallow and blunt: garish and stylised fan fiction with the scope and budget of an old-school Hollywood epic.”
Also on 1 May, Netflix premieres Swapped, featuring newly minted Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan as a woodland creature who body-swaps with a majestic bird, voiced by Juno Temple. Directed by ‘Tangled’ filmmaker Nathan Greno, the film also features the voices of Cedric the Entertainer and Tracy Morgan, promising a “Freaky Friday” dynamic.
Anime fans can catch Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc on Crunchyroll from Thursday. This R-rated romance, based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, follows a teenager murdered by the Yakuza and reborn with the unique ability to transform body parts into chainsaws, which he uses to fight devils.
For documentary enthusiasts, Debra Granik’s five-part docuseries Conbody vs Everybody, filmed over eight years, chronicles Coss Marte’s journey to build a New York gym employing formerly incarcerated individuals. It debuts exclusively on Criterion Channel on 1 May.
Finally, Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys star in the eerie thriller Hallow Road, streaming on Hulu from 2 May, playing parents rushing to help their daughter after a late-night accident. It was described as “an effectively minimalistic thriller that leaves much room for interpretation and debate.”
This combination of images show promotional art for the films “Swapped,” left, and “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.” (Netflix/Crunchyroll via AP)
In music, Kacey Musgraves returns to corner the market on too-clever, comedic country-pop songs about arousal with her seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere, on 1 May, preceded by the single ‘Dry Spell.’ Inspired by her home state of Texas, the album features Willie Nelson on ‘Uncertain, TX,’ proving she is no one-trick pony.
Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap release their new album FENIAN on 1 May. Known for their political statements, which have seen them banned in Canada and Hungary due to their support for the Palestinian cause, and their BAFTA-winning biopic, the album opens with “Éire go Deo,” a rallying cry for the Irish language.
Influential indie band American Football offer their latest, LP4, showcasing their distinctive ‘twinkly’ guitar sound, defined by complex time signatures, intricate fingerpicking, and generous reverb. “No Feeling,” featuring Brendan Yates of Turnstile, is a recommended starting point.
Tori Amos also unveils her high-concept, allegorical album In Times of Dragons on 1 May, a 17-track release where she performs an alternative universe version of herself, continuing her flight from a dangerous billionaire husband. Joined by the “Gasoline Girls”, it’s a political and jaunty piano number about not giving up the good fight.
This combination of album cover images show, top row from left, “FENIAN” by Kneecap, “In Times of Dragons,” by Tori Amos, bottom row from left, “Middle of Nowhere” by Kacey Musgraves, and the self-titled “American Football (LP4).”Heavenly/Universal-Fontana/Lost Highway/Polyvinyl via AP
On the small screen, Isabel Allende’s acclaimed novel The House of the Spirits receives a Spanish-language TV adaptation, debuting on Prime Video on Wednesday. The series follows the trials and tribulations of a multi-generational Latin family, with Alfonso Herrera, Dolores Fonzi, and Nicole Wallace among the cast, and Allende and Eva Longoria among its executive producers.
Matthew Rhys also stars in the Apple TV+ horror comedy Widow’s Bay, launching Wednesday, playing the mayor of a small coastal town. He aims to make the island a tourist destination, but locals believe it’s haunted and are not on board.
For reality TV, Roku introduces This First House on Monday, a spin-off of This Old House focusing on millennial and Gen Z first-time homebuyers, guided by renovation experts Zack and Camille Dettmore. If you don’t scroll through real estate websites fantasising about your dream home, then what do you do with your downtime? HBO Max brings a new season of Zillow Gone Wild, hosted by Jack McBrayer, from 2 May, exploring outrageous properties.
This combination of images shows promotional art for “Widow’s Bay,” from left, “Zillow Gone Wild,” and “The House of the Spirits.” Apple TV/HGTV/Prime via AP
Gamers have two new titles to explore. Sony’s Saros launches on PS5 on Thursday, set on the shape-shifting planet Carcosa, teeming with hostile life-forms. The planet’s geography changes with each new mission, but players wield an arsenal of high-tech weapons and a nifty shield that absorbs alien projectiles and sends them back as missiles.
Housemarque, the Finnish studio behind 2021’s Returnal, calls it “bullet ballet, evolved.” Meanwhile, Don’t Nod’s Aphelion arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, and PC on Tuesday.
This title places players on the frozen planet Persephone, where two astronauts are separated after their spacecraft crashes. They must use their exploratory skills and sharp observation to figure out what went wrong and find each other, all while evading a hostile life form. Developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency, it promises a realistic depiction of near-future space exploration.
This week’s releases promise a rich tapestry of narratives and experiences, ensuring a compelling choice for every entertainment enthusiast.
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