April Media

This month has brought a variety of new media, from films and TV to books and countless new albums, providing plenty to both binge watch and listen to.

Released in theaters March 13, Canadian horror film Undertone might have been the scariest movie I’ve seen in a while. While fairly anticlimatic, the sound design created a tense atmospheric dread. The subtle background scares led to a sense of unease throughout the movie, though there wasn’t much real action. Overall, I did like it, but I don’t think I would watch it again. Another new release, Project Hail Mary, just came to theaters, and far exceeded my expectations. I went in having already read the Andy Weir novel the film based itself off of, fueling the high hopes I had for this movie, but I think it was very well executed and overall a really fun watch.

As for upcoming movies, keep an eye out for The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Animal Farm, both coming to theaters May 1. New books include A. Natasha Joukovsky’s Medium Rare, a modern tragicomedy riffing on Icarus, fame, and bureaucracy. On a lighter note, from fan favorite Abby Jimenez comes The Night We Met. The story revels in laughter, friendship, and spur of the moment decisions that have the potential to change everything. Distinguished thriller author, Freida McFadden also published a new book this month, Want to Know a Secret? centered around the duality of online personas and what we don’t see behind the camera. Coming up, expect new works from Carley Fortune (Our Perfect Storm), Katherine Center (The Shippers), Evelyn Clarke (The Ending Writes Itself), and others.

In music, there have been quite a few new releases, spanning everything from pop to R&B to more alternative sounds. Starting off, Raye’s newest album, This Music May Contain Hope launched on March 13 and was very different to some of her other music, but it carried the same feeling. On the same date, Jack Harlow’s newest work, Monica was put out as soulful pivot to R&B. Harry Styles’ highly anticipated fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally came out a few days later on March 16. Soon to come is Laufey’s extended album, A Matter of Time: The Final Hour, coming out on April 10, featuring 4 new bonus tracks.

All in all, it’s been a packed stretch for new releases, and I’ve enjoyed having so much to chose from, even if not everything landed for me.