Best films released in the UK this month: April 2026

by

UK cinemas had a successful start to the year, with a strong first quarter boosted by both award-winning films released after their US debuts and new blockbusters like Project Hail Mary and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. We’re now looking forward to April.

This month’s movie releases offer a diverse range, but two films are expected to be the biggest hits: a new Super Mario animated movie and a biopic about the life of Michael Jackson.

There’s a lot to choose from, including the new film The Drama with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the talked-about horror movie Undertone, and the fascinating Mother Mary. Starring Anne Hathaway as a pop star, Mother Mary is so unique that even its director, David Lowery, struggles to categorize it.

Josh O’Connor delivers another impressive performance in the quietly excellent film Rebuilding. Meanwhile, James McAvoy and Brian Cox both try their hand at directing with the films California Schemin’ and Glenrothan, and Regé-Jean Page and Halle Bailey star in the new romantic comedy You, Me and Tuscany.

With Jude Law playing Vladimir Putin and a new film from the uniquely talented Cornish director Mark Jenkin, there’s a lot of great content to enjoy.

We’ve chosen some of the best movies to watch this month to help you decide what to see! You can watch our recommendations in the video above, or keep reading to find out our picks.

Best films released in the UK this month: April 2026

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Release date: Friday 1 April in cinemas

Building on the success of the 2023 blockbuster, this new film is inspired by the Super Mario Galaxy video game from 2007. It features familiar characters from the Nintendo universe, and welcomes Donald Glover and Brie Larson to the cast as the voices of Yoshi and Rosalina.

Mario and Luigi, the famous Italian plumbers, team up with Yoshi, Princess Peach, and Toad for a brand new adventure! This time, they’re heading to outer space where they’ll meet Rosalina and battle Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr., all over again.

The Drama

Release date: Friday 3 April in cinemas

In this new comedy drama, directed by Kristoffer Borgli (known for ‘Dream Scenario’), Robert Pattinson and Zendaya play a couple whose wedding plans are thrown into chaos when a surprising secret about Zendaya’s character is revealed.

There’s been a lot of discussion about the film’s central mystery – and it’s best not to reveal any details beforehand – but it definitely seems like a movie that will get people talking.

Fuze

Release date: Friday 3 April in cinemas

In this thrilling crime story directed by David McKenzie, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a bomb disposal expert called to handle a dangerous situation: an unexploded bomb from World War II found in the heart of London.

The explosion is only the beginning of the story, which also features a large-scale robbery. The film boasts a strong supporting cast, including Theo James, Sam Worthington, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in significant roles.

California Schemin’

Release date: Friday 10 April in cinemas

James McAvoy’s first time directing is a true story about Silibil N’ Brains, a Scottish rap group who pretended to be from America to achieve success, and ultimately ended up performing with some huge artists.

The film is based on the real-life story of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, as told in Bain’s memoir, California Schemin’. Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross deliver lively performances as the pair, and James McAvoy also appears in a significant role.

You, Me and Tuscany

Release date: Friday 10 April in cinemas

This romantic comedy, filmed in Italy, follows a young cook played by Halle Bailey who finds love in Tuscany. She pretends to be the fiancé of a man she barely knows after an unusual situation: she was discovered living in his house.

While pretending to be someone else – and spending a lot of time with the man’s rather unusual family – she also encounters his cousin, Michael, and a romantic connection starts to develop.

Undertone

Release date: Friday 10 April in cinemas

This scary new movie, directed by Ian Tuason, centers around two podcast hosts who receive a strange email from a listener. The email includes unsettling voice recordings that kick off a terrifying mystery.

The movie is shown entirely through Evy’s eyes (played by Nina Kiri), one of the hosts who is also dealing with her mother’s illness. Instead of relying on visual frights, most of the scares come from the incredibly effective sound design, which builds suspense and lets your imagination do the work.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy

Release date: Friday 17 April in cinemas

This supernatural horror film, directed by Lee Cronin of Evil Dead Rise, isn’t connected to The Mummy movies that came before it. The story centers around strange happenings when a young woman reappears after being missing for eight years.

What began as a happy family gathering soon becomes a terrifying ordeal…

The Wizard of the Kremlin

Release date: Friday 17 April in cinemas

Jude Law stars as Vladimir Putin in this satirical film, which is based on a 2022 novel. Paul Dano and Alicia Vikander also appear in the movie, and it’s directed by the well-known French filmmaker, Olivier Assayas.

The story centers on Vadim Baranov (played by Dano), a talented artist who rises from humble beginnings in 1990s Russia to become a powerful and persuasive figure within the government, essentially becoming a master of political manipulation.

Rebuilding

Release date: Friday 17 April in cinemas

Josh O’Connor leads the cast in this quiet Western, playing a man named Dusty who’s trying to start over after a wildfire ruins his ranch. He’s joined by Meghann Fahy and Academy Award winner Amy Madigan.

After finding his daughter and reconnecting with his ex-wife, Dusty ends up in a FEMA camp, where he discovers a sense of community with other people who have lost their homes.

Glenrothan

Release date: Friday 17 April in cinemas

Brian Cox directs and stars in this charming comedy drama, which has been called a heartfelt tribute to Scotland. Alan Cumming also appears in the film.

Brian Cumming stars as Donal, a man who comes back to Scotland after living overseas for 35 years, hoping to reconcile with his brother Sandy, played by Brian Cox.

Michael

Release date: Wednesday 22 April in cinemas

The new film about Michael Jackson stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, as the iconic singer. Antoine Fuqua directs, and Colman Domingo plays Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, in this biographical story.

The movie primarily tells the story of Jackson’s beginnings, from his days with the Jackson 5 to launching his individual career. However, it’s likely to spark renewed discussion about how he’ll be remembered.

Mother Mary

Release date: Friday 24 April in cinemas

In this new psychological thriller, Anne Hathaway stars as a famous pop singer. The film, written and directed by David Lowery, also features Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, Sian Clifford, and FKA Twigs.

The story centers on a complicated relationship—an emotional and intimate connection—between singer Mary and designer Sam (Coel). They reconnect when Mary needs a dress for her upcoming tour, and their professional collaboration blossoms into something more.

Rose of Nevada

Release date: Friday 24 April in cinemas

I’m really excited about Mark Jenkin’s latest film – it’s his third, and it’s a fascinating sci-fi story with George MacKay and Callum Turner taking the lead. Jenkin’s a bold director from Cornwall, and I have a feeling this one will be special.

After disappearing for thirty years, a strange boat reappears in a small village. Two men sign on as crew, dreaming of a brighter future. But after just one trip, they’re unexpectedly thrown back in time and everyone believes they are the boat’s original sailors.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. We need your permission to load it because reCAPTCHA might use cookies and similar technologies. If you want to see the content, please select ‘Accept and continue’ to allow reCAPTCHA to work.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about films for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming services. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time, he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed a wide variety of movies.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-03-31 17:08