My 2026 April R-Rated Movies Ranked
Here's what I watched, what about you?
I saw a lot less movies in April than March, but I wasn’t racing the clock for the Oscars, either! It was also a busy month, which is why my goal was to simply watch one movie per week, and I met that and then some. A few first watches and a few favorites here.
And with that, let’s get to the rankings! Agree with me? What was your watchlist? Share in the comments.
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April 2026 R-Rated Movies Ranked in the order I saw them:
Predator (1987) 4 out of 5 Son-of-a-Bitch Hand-Clasping Reunions
Spring break meant late-night classics with the kids. They wanted something scary they hadn’t seen before, and this fit the bill. Like Psycho had a false first act, I love this movie has a stereotypical 80s action movie beginning, then takes a hard right turn into savage science fiction. Everyone leans into their role just as hard, too, and my favorite here has always been Bill Duke as Mac! Two other great movies with him: Car Wash (powerful acting) and Deep Cover (powerful directing). Great, now I wanna go watch both!
Prey (YEAR) 4.5 out of 5 Easter Egg Pistols
This was so much fun. For years, there’s been chatter about doing a Predator: Period Piece movie, and this one really delivers. I’ve seen it in Comanche and in English and the dub works. More importantly, the story, the production, and the overall lore of the Predator story all really work here, great movie. While I couldn’t get them to come see dan Trachtenberg’s follow-up Predator: Badlands in the theater with me this fall, they liked this one enough they were onboard to watch it on Hulu, and they liked it!
Showgirls (1995) 1 out of 5 Great Nails, Apparently?
FIRST WATCH | It’s true, I’ve never seen this one. Until now. I went with 1 star instead of 0.5 because maybe, just maybe, it really is a satire. Verhoeven does satire well. RoboCop, Starship Troopers, etc. But this one, I dunno. My review? Well, I try to be kind around here, so I’ll just agree with Marge Simpson: “I enjoyed the friendship between Showgirl and that seamstress.”
Alan Partridge (2013) 3 out of 5 Uncalm Colm Meaney Meanie Faces
FIRST WATCH | Never heard of Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge character, but after more dramatic fare I needed a palette cleanser. This was more clever than I thought it would be, though I feel like I’m missing something without seeing the character before. I heard the same about Ted Lasso for some, though that series overcomes any sort of “I didn’t see the NBC soccer commercials first” to truly enjoy it. Overall, a little clunky but lots of quick Brit wit!
White Noise (2022) 3.5 out of 5 Homework Carnards
FIRST WATCH | I’m a big Noah Baumbach fan and while I enjoyed the quirkiness of this one, it went in many more bizarre directions than expected, which left me bemused but a little more confused. The shooting style was definitely Baumbach, but much of the dialogue and cadence of character back-and-forth felt quite Wes Anderson. The weirdness is enough for me to recommend this one.
The Killer (1989) 4 out of 5 Shrimp Heads
First watch in a movie theater! I missed John Woo’s Hard Boiled back in theaters this winter and there was no way I was missing his other classic team-up with Chow Yun Fat, The Killer! Our oldest enjoyed it, recognizing the melodramatic story and over-the-top stylized action for what they are. She especially loved the tragic ending. As for me, it had been years and it still holds up!
The Drama (2026) 4.5 out of 5 Sleeping Dogs Lying
FIRST WATCH | Our oldest asked if I’d take her to this because Zendaya. All she knew was Zendaya, Pattinson, and a wedding. I’d had a little more context accidentally spoiled for me but the whole insanity that is the final 20 minutes was a complete surprise to me. Great chemistry, with honest responses to learning “deep, dark secrets,” I think this movie is sparking good conversation about tough subjects for young people.
Drive (2011) 5 out of 5 Synthwaves
This remains my favorite film of 2011. It’s better than all 10 nominees for Best Picture combined. It’s the film that made Ryan Gosling a star in my moviegoing experience. The violence is stark, sudden, and severe, so be warned if that’s not your thing. But if you want a slow burn with Gosling at his most riveting and a superb supporting cast (Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Ron Pearlman, Oscar Isaac), this is it. Though I hear it isn’t as good, it makes me want to finally see Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn’s follow-up team-up, Only God Forgives.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) 3.5 out of 5 Nic Cage Crazy Eyes
FIRST WATCH | This was weird and meta and fun in all the right ways. It never quite elevates to something fully fresh, but I really enjoyed it. Nicholas Cage is such a force that this movie can only be about him as “him.” Like Being John Malkovich is only suited for John Malkovich, it just works. Fun times, and I’ll try it out again sometime.
What did you think, Pedro Pascal?
Alien: Romulus (2024) 4 out of 5 The Future Looks Like the 70s
My first watch since seeing this twice in the theater, Alien: Romulus still holds up for me. Leads Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are great, and the production value is phenomenal. You get a small story of young people mistakenly mixed up in a big story of breeding alien xenomorphs (and then some), just lots of fun.
I said a lot more in a Feature Presentation about the movie when it came out, read on:
The Mastermind (2025) 3 out of 5 Sleeping Guards
FIRST WATCH | This heist movie about everything around the heist was interesting, in that it showed aspects of a heist we haven’t really seen before. The mundane and repetitive scoping out of the scene. The frustrating and boring process of fencing stolen objects. And family drama along the way. Am I selling this movie very well? That’s the thing: it’s interesting to watch the boring parts of the story, but it’s not that interesting. Best to stick with Alfred Hitchcock’s old adage: “Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.”
Freeway (1996) 3.5 out of 5 Things You Never Expected to Hear Kiefer Sutherland Say
FIRST WATCH | I remember when this movie came out. It didn’t play locally, and it wasn’t enticing enough to rent, even if I had a little crush on Reese Witherspoon (as pretty much every teenage boy of the 90s did). I read that this was a unique take on the Red Riding Hood story and at first it seemed like a sad little story about a girl with a heart of gold. Not quite halfway through, it ran itself over a satirical cliff with over the top situations, dialogue, and acting. None of that is a complaint, by the way!
Angel (1983) 3 out of 5 Sassy Sidekicks
FIRST WATCH | One of those memorable 80s VHS covers I saw in the video rental store but never bothered with as a teen. I got a subscription to Night Flight streaming service for Christmas and it’s a perfect opportunity to catch up on late-night schlock like this. I’ll say the “good guy” characters are a fun bunch, and you really do root for them. One of those movies they probably can’t make today.
Sleepaway Camp (1983) 3 out of 5 Scalding Hot Kitchen Nightmares
FIRST WATCH | Another movie with a memorably 80s VHS cover on Night Flight that they probably can’t make today. Waitasec, they made a ton of sequels?! Well, I’m in no rush, but this was fun. Creepy vibes, nasty kills, the famous twist ending. Hey, I’ll go for one more movie on Night Flight because they’ve likely all got at least some redeeming qualities, right?
Cannibal Holocaust (1980) 0 out of 5 Redeeming Qualities
FIRST WATCH | Absolutely zero redeeming qualities. Resisted this one forever. Not a better person for having watched it. I disliked it so much, I’m not even putting in an affiliate link for it. Support me by clicking another link, if you like, but not this one!
Strange Wilderness (2008) 2 out of 5 Bigfoots (…Bigfeets?!)
FIRST WATCH | I really did try, but fell asleep watching this. Then I woke up and they were with Bigfoot?! Then I fell asleep again and when I woke up the credits were rolling. Great cast, not a captivating movie, I’m afraid.
Changeland (2019) 3 out of 5 Culkins
FIRST WATCH | This directorial debut from Seth Green has a lot of charm, but didn’t quite elevate. A story about two friends traveling overseas to find themselves, it felt like a more maudlin version of Garden State and a less humorous version of A Real Pain by someone who really enjoyed The Life Aquatic. If you like that genre of young men trying to find themselves, however, this is a worthy entry.
Fight Club (1999) 5 out of 5 Cornflower Blue Icons
I’m not supposed to talk about this, but wow, did this hold up for me. Great writing, acting, camera, story, and all in the theater, too! This got a surprise one-week theatrical re-release in April. Why? To celebrate it’s 4K Steelbook release. It was a perfect date night and loads of fun. I watched this a lot as a young adult and I’m glad to say my opinion of Tyler Durden remains the same: great theories, horrific execution. Sadly, way too many “bros” don’t get that. Radical ideas are out there and can shape the world in the name of justice. Just don’t look for it to come from Mayhem.
2026 Total Movie Stats
87 MOVIES TOTAL | 27.97% of 311 in 2025, 52.1% of 167 in 2024
24 Movies at the Theater | 27.6%
77 First-Watch Movies | 88.5%
72 R-Rated Movies | 82.8%
62 First-Watch R-Rated Movies | 71.3%
2026 April Movie Stats
18 Movies | 90% of 20 in April 2025, 112.5% of 16 in April 2024
3 Movies at the Theater | 16.6%
12 First-Watch Movies | 66.6%
17 R-Rated Movies | 94.4%
11 First-Watch R-Rated Movies | 61.1%
January Goal Met: Watch at least ten movies this month.
February Goal Made: Get to the movie theater at least once!
March Goal Made: See all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars.
April Goal Made: See one movie a week in a busy month.
May Goal Made: Make space for R-rated movies from the 1960s.
Your turn!
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What did you see in April? Agree with my ratings? Any reviews to share?
Glad you’re here today, Dear Reader. God’s peace and good movies to you!