Best new films of the month
- Text by Robin Nierynck

As spring hits us well and truly, we celebrate nuance and intricacy in film like a breath of fresh air into this season’s cinema. Here’s our pick of the best of April’s releases.
Clouds of Sils Maria
Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart and Chloë Grace Moretz form a trio of powerful performances in this tense, introspective drama by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. An established actress (Binoche) is confronted with an unsettling reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier.
Hungry Hearts
Spotlighted at Tribeca Film Festival, Hungry Hearts starts off with a touching romantic encounter in New York City but quickly descends into a chilling escalation of a mother’s paranoia and obsession with her child. Adam Driver and Alba Rohrwacher deliver a haunting portrait of the complex nature of motherhood and family bonds.
Alex of Venice
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is Alex, an overworked environmental attorney coming to grips with the realisation that she is not in total control of her life, when her husband takes a break from the family. Chris Messina’s directorial debut is a genuine, nuanced character study with heartwarming performances.
Montage of Heck
A raw and unflinching documentary on Kurt Cobain’s life from childhood to his early death in 1994, Montage of Heck powerfully blends video footage, soundbites and animation into a touching poignant for the man behind the myth. With unseen footage and sound, the film presents an abundance of material while restraining from any judgement.
While We’re Young
Josh and Cornelia (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) are a forty-something married couple living in Manhattan who, in a bout of middle-age crisis, gravitate to a young hipster couple (Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried) in an effort to feel younger. Funny and touching, While We’re Young manages to avoid stereotype in its delivery of a considered exploration of what it means to age.
You might like

In photos: California’s youth squaring up to an uncertain future
Desperate, Scared, But Social — Amid a tumultuous year in the Golden State, the 2025 California Biennial focuses on those coming of age into an intensifying climate crisis, and widening division and inequality.
Written by: Miss Rosen

“Humanity’s big threat is our disconnect from nature”: Craig Richards and Chris Levine in conversation
Lighting up — With Houghton Festival collaborating with artist Chris Levine in its most recent edition, we sat down with the light artist and the festival’s creative director Craig Richards to chat about their new installations, and the role of art and music in tumultuous times.
Written by: Isaac Muk

Three heart wrenching poems from Gaza
Writings that narrate — With Gaza’s population facing starvation, we are handing over our website to Yahya Alhamarna, a displaced poet and student in Gaza, who shares some of his recent poetry, and explains why writing is so important to him.
Written by: Yahya Alhamarna

An insider’s view of California’s outdoor cruising spots
Outside Sex — Daniel Case’s new photobook explores the public gay sex scene, through a voyeuristic lens, often hidden just below plain sight.
Written by: Miss Rosen

Daido Moriyama’s first four photobooks to be published in English for the first time
Quartet — A new anthology collates Japan, A Photo Theater, A Hunter, Farewell Photography and Light and Shadow, alongside journal entries and memoranda.
Written by: Isaac Muk

Meet Lady Pink, the ‘First Lady’ of graffiti
Miss Subway NYC — As a leading writer and artist in a man’s world, Sandra Fabara has long been a trailblazer for girls in underground art. Now, her new show touches on her legacy, while looking to the future.
Written by: Isaac Muk