Everything That’s Streaming In April 2024

The month of April evokes nose-twitching visions of trees spewing pollen and mosquito orgies, but spring’s breezes bring more than swarms and sneezes. One big change comes as Showtime’s standalone streaming service is shutting down after April 30 with plans to fold into Paramount+ (subscribers will need the no-ads Paramount+ plan to access Showtime content after April.) Streaming platforms are bursting with spectacular dramas like The Sympathizer, Ripley, and wheelman thriller Parish starring Giancarlo Esposito. Sci-fi has strong representation this month with the long-awaited Fallout, while Rebel Moon: The Scargiver and Star Trek Discovery finish their galactic sagas. Documentaries dominate with Broken Horses and Bray Wyatt wrestling tribute Becoming Immortal, with adventure series from celebrities Orlando Bloom and Conan O’Brien. It’s a fertile month for amazing content, so read on for Book & Film Globe’s definitive guide to the top titles this month. 

Netflix

Rebel Moon: Part 2 – The Scargiver (April 19)–Rebel Moon director Zack Synder recently claimed that at 90 million views and counting, more people watched Part 1: A Child of Fire (streaming on Netflix since December) than bought tickets to see Barbie in theaters. And while its viewership might be more rubberneckers than fans at this point, Snyder’s space-samurai-sci-fi-fantasy epic is back to continue Kora’s (Sofia Boutella) quest for justice and survival. After a betrayal and a tragic loss for the warriors, Kora is back on Balisarius’s radar and preparing to protect a refugee village in a final showdown with the Imperium. But first the rebel soldiers must face the truths of their pasts, revealing the stories that led them to take up arms. The series, which is set in the Army of the Dead universe, also stars Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae and Anthony Hopkins.

Ripley (April 8) – Midcentury minimalist aesthetic infuses this thriller series starring Andrew Scott as the brooding Tom Ripley, based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling novels. The eight-episode tale follows struggling conman Ripley in 1960s New York, where a wealthy man hires him to travel to Italy to convince his prodigal son Dickie (Johnny Flynn) to return home. But when Tom gets a taste of Dickie’s extravagant lifestyle, he resorts to fraud and murder to cheat his way to the top of the social ladder. The only hiccup: Dickie’s girlfriend Marge (Dakota Fanning), who gets a whiff of his true nature. Director Steven Zaillian (The Irishman, Schindler’s List) shot the series in black and white to crank up the tension, with crisp symmetrical camerawork belying the chaos and violence beneath Ripley’s curated surface.

Scoop (April 20) – Gillian Anderson dusts off her Thatcher accent to star in an insider account of the women who negotiated with the notoriously tight-lipped Buckingham Palace establishment to snag the “scoop of the decade.” Prince Andrew’s infamous 2019 interview about his friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his own sexual assault allegations, which he settled out of court for $15 million, led to the discontinuation of Randy Andy’s royal duties. Scoop sheds light on the political and ethical quagmires journalists face in a country whose monarchy and media are often at odds, and prepares to answer the biggest question: why did Andrew agree to the interview at all?

Good Times (April 12) – Black Twitter has some thoughts about the new animated Good Times reboot that follows a new generation of the Evans family as they try to keep their heads above water in Chicago. Critics say the show’s blaring stereotypes are an insult to the original 70s sitcom and amount to nothing more than minstrelsy. It’s executive produced by original show developer Norman Lear (who passed away last December), Seth MacFarlane, whose Cleveland show struck a sour note with Black viewers, and Stephan Curry, whose recent efforts to block affordable housing in his ritzy Bay Area neighborhood seem to conflict with supporting a show set in a housing project. Good Times features a voice cast including J.B. Smoove as cab-driving father Reggie Evans, Yvette Nicole Brown as wife Beverly, Jay Pharoah and Marsai Martin as their adolescent kids, and Gerald “Slink” Johnson as Delvin–the drug-dealing baby.  

Also playing:

Unlocked: A Jail Experiment (April 10)  

What Jennifer Did (April 10)

The Hijacking of Flight 601 (April 10)

Visit Netflix for a full list of releases.

Hulu

American Horror Story: Delicate Part 2 (April 4) – The blockbuster show’s 12th season goes full Rosemary’s Baby as it wraps up its adaptation of Danielle Valentine’s novel Delicate Condition, with the final four episodes airing this month. Anna (Emma Roberts), an ambitious actress who conceives through IVF, begins to unravel a web of dark forces who have a sinister plan for her pregnancy. After a loved one betrays her and she loses a Golden Globe award to a younger actress, Anna meets a woman whose demonic story deepens her puerperal anxiety. Meanwhile her publicist Siobhan (Kim Kardashian in her first major acting role) offers a devil’s bargain–and when Anna accepts, her acting rival immediately dies in a freak accident. Will Anna bloop out the next Damien in yet another tokophobic fever dream like Dead Ringers and The Handmaid’s Tale, or will she find a way to escape the worst contract ever? 

Under the Bridge (April 17) – The true-crime drama based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book tells the story of one of the most shocking Canadian crimes of the 1990s: the brutal murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) at a local party spot in rural British Columbia. Investigative writer Godfrey (Riley Keough, who also produces) teams up with police officer Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone) to infiltrate a sordid group of teens and unravel the horrifying mystery behind Reena’s death. Like Swarm, Carrie, Yellowjackets and The Craft, breaking the taboo around violence among girls makes for an uncomfortably twisted but riveting watch. 

Broken Horses (April 27) – Four New York Times reporters examine “systemic issues, questionable practices and urgent calls for change” in horse racing, investigating a series of recent breakdowns and scandals that have compromised its integrity. The documentary deep dives into greed-driven breeding and doping, crooked veterinarians and trainers, and the question of how long horse racing can endure considering that sports become extinct if they don’t keep time with changing social ethics. Will Churchill Downs be America’s Colosseum?  

The Veil (April 30) – A deadly game of cat and mouse plays out between an MI6 agent (Elisabeth Moss) and a suspected ISIS commander (Yumna Marwan) whose daughter’s life depends on her mission’s success. The Veil explores their “surprising and fraught relationship” in a perilous journey from Istanbul to Paris and London, with one carrying a secret and the other determined to uncover it before thousands of lives are lost. Meanwhile, the intelligence agencies working behind the scenes must bury the hatchet and work together to avert a major crisis on U.S. soil. 

Also playing:

Hip-Hop and the White House (April 22)

Visit Hulu for a full list of releases.

Amazon Prime

Fallout (April 11) – One of the most long-awaited video game adaptations since Halo is finally here as executive producer and director Jonathan Nolan (Westworld) unveils the series adaptation of best-selling RPG Fallout– a whopping four years after production was announced. The retrofuturist western unfolds in a lawless America ravaged by nuclear war and lousy with irradiated mutants, miscreants and organ-harvesting robots. A handful of survivors attempt to rebuild civilization in underground bunkers, but when Lucy (Ella Purnell) is forced to leave the safety of her vault to find her missing father (Kyle MacLachlan), she must survive the pitfalls and perils of post-apocalyptic L.A. The film will also flesh out Ghoul’s (Walton Goggins) backstory, bridging the gap between pre- and post-war worlds while delivering the action with gallows humor.

Them: The Scare Season 2 (April 25) – The horror anthology follows LAPD Homicide Detective Dawn Reeve (Deborah Ayorinde, who also played the lead role in the first season) as she investigates a series of brutal serial killings in 1991. As Dawn gets closer to the terrible truth behind the mangled bodies, a malignant force begins to threaten her life and everyone close to her. The action unfolds in a city on the brink of chaos after the beating of Rodney King by several police officers, as Dawn contends with her identity as a Black woman and a cop. The first season set the tone for blending social issues with jump scares, and using individual stories as allegories to confront larger social issues. This season’s cast includes Pam Grier, Luke James, Wayne Knight and Joshua J. Williams.

Música (April 4) – Online music celebrity Rudy Mancuso brings his unique worldview to the screen in a colorful semi-autobiographical comedy musical that he directed, co-wrote, and starred in. Mancuso is an aspiring creator living with synesthesia, learning how to navigate love, ambition, and his Brazilian heritage in a world where every sound creates a musical beat. Rudy hopes to use his skill of perpetual jamming to win over his new crush Isabella (Camila Mendes)—but his ex-girlfriend and his meddling mom have other ideas. Mancuso’s creative gift spills into his camerawork, mixing giddy colors, dizzying choreography and charmingly imagined vignettes into a warm and beautifully rendered vision that sings.

Also playing:

The Holdovers (April 29)

Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain (April 2)

Visit Amazon Prime for a full list of releases

Max

The Sympathizer (April 14) – A new political spy thriller and “cross-cultural satire” from Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and Robert Downey Jr. tells the story of a double agent at a geographical and personal crossroads as the Vietnam War winds down. After a French-Vietnamese spy (Hoa Xuande) infiltrates the South Vietnamese army, he must flee to a refugee community in the U.S. when the South falls in 1975. The spy must eventually choose between his political loyalties and his adopted community—which he continues to spy on for the Viet Cong. The dark comedy, based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, aims to expand on the “two countries, two minds” dichotomy of the immigrant experience. Sandra Oh also makes an appearance, along with Downey reprising his Tropic Thunder-level method acting as four different characters—including a dead-ringer for Travis Bickle. 

The Jinx: Part 2 (April 21) – Nine years after Part One blew the lid off the long-dormant Durst murder investigations, the documentary filmmakers are back with more astonishing revelations about the real estate heir and convicted killer. During filming for The Jinx: Part 1, they caught Durst on a hot mic admitting to the murders of his first wife Kathleen McCormack, friend Susan Berman, and neighbor Morris Black: “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.” Part Two is a six-episode continuation of the Emmy-winning 2015 series as the filmmakers continue their investigation for the following eight years, uncovering hidden material, Durst’s prison calls, and interviews with new witnesses. Two years after his death, Durst’s homicidal rage still reaches beyond the first documentary, his prison cell, and even the bounds of death to raise goosebumps.

Conan O’Brien Must Go (April 18) – WarnerMedia’s golden goose Conan O’Brien is a producer’s dream: fly him to an unfamiliar locale and point a camera at him, and laughs and money start raining down. A silly new travel show has the charming ginger television host globe-hopping with his former associate producer Jordan Schlansky on a comedic adventure to meet his fans and experience their cultures. The trailer shows Conan clowning with Schlansky and making it weird with locals in Ireland, Norway, Thailand, and Argentina, spectacularly failing at roping cattle, kickboxing, tango and salsa. The self-deprecating awkwardness isn’t as convincing these days with a half-century television career in his carryon, but Conan and his media company are just as happy (and rich) keeping it goofy.

The Synanon Fix (April 1) – Director Rory Kennedy explores the growth and collapse of the Synanon Organization through the experiences of the members who lived it, from its Southern California origins as a groundbreaking drug rehab program to a booze-soaked, gun-toting cult with a murkily amassed fortune and control issues. The four-part series plays on a “boiling frog” trope to build the threat slowly, as non-addicts infiltrated the group and imposed aggressive tactics like family separation, attack therapy and mandating vasectomies and head shaving. Synanon’s charismatic leader Chuck Dederich led the clown parade, eventually facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder and leaving the once-idealistic organization leaderless and bankrupt.

Also playing:

The Zone of Interest (April 5)

Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion (April 9) 

Visit Max for a full list of releases.

Disney+

Tiger (April 22) – Just in time for Earth Day, Disney is uncaging a pair of dynamic films that spotlight the majestic world of tigers. Narrated by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Tiger walks the game trails with Ambar, a young tigress raising her vulnerable cubs in an Indian forest. Veteran nature documentarian Mark Linfield captured intense action and ovary-shredding maternal moments over 1,500 days of diligent filming. 

Blair Underwood narrates the companion film Tigers on the Rise, which celebrates the resurgence of tiger populations and sheds light on the heroes who foster coexistence between tigers and communities. From veterinarians to scientists and community patrols, humans can ensure a harmonious balance between man and beast while both populations thrive. 

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story (April 26) – A new four-part docuseries follows the tumultuous history of Bon Jovi from Jersey Shore clubs to global rock gods, with addiction, breakdowns, internal strife, divorces and illness not far behind. Sports documentarian Gotham Chopra directs the series, bringing a kinetic, performance-focused eye to Jon Bon Jovi’s bombastic life and the musical dynamic that’s survived the centripetal forces that threatened to tear the band apart. According to its synopsis, “a 40 year odyssey of rock’n’roll idolatry [is] on the precipice as a vocal injury threatens to bring everything to a screeching halt.” Fans can also catch unreleased early demos, original lyrics, personal photos, never-before-seen footage and interviews with band members, family members, and industry stars like Everett Bradley and Bruce Springsteen.

The Fable (April 6) – As Disney pushes to produce more anime titles for its Japanese market, American fans are enjoying the spillover effect of expanded options and a glut of new shows in the genre. Based on the smash hit manga by Katsuhisa Minami, The Fable follows a legendary killer for hire who eats sleeps and breathes death as the world’s most skilled assassin. But after finishing the year with the most confirmed kills yet, Fable becomes unmoored when his boss gives an impossible order: keep a low profile, which means not kill anyone for a year. Uprooted to Osaka and surrounded by trigger-happy criminals, Fable must wrangle his temperament and try to fit in if he wants to survive. 

Also playing:

High Hopes (April 20)

Secrets of the Octopus (April 22) 

Visit Disney+ for a full list of releases.

Apple TV+

Loot Season 2 (April 3) – Maya Rudolph persists in magnificence in the quirky-sweet sitcom that follows the story of the aftermath of Molly’s (Rudolph) divorce from her tech mogul husband (Adam Scott) and how she can use her massive settlement to do good. A year on since the messy split, Molly is thriving as a single woman: going on a wellness journey, figuring out new relationships, and working with her plucky co-workers and friends in an effort to give away her piles of cash. Molly’s 20 years of class cluelessness wash away in a tide of feel-good friendships and inspiring community initiatives that make us root for billionaire divorces.

Sugar (April 5) – This modern take on a classic noir story finds Colin Farrell stepping into the wingtips of a detective who stirs up a hornet’s nest while searching for a missing girl. Farrell plays John Sugar, a private investigator trying to track down the missing granddaughter of a famous Hollywood producer. As Sugar gets closer to the truth, he finds secrets he was never supposed to unearth. One powerful family is determined to keep them buried. The case unravels as moral relativism enters the chat: is Sugar really the good guy, or do his brain zaps and twitches hint at a darker voltage running underneath the surface? In this twisty eight-episode drama, nothing is what it seems. 

Franklin (April 12) – Michael Douglas channels a ghoulish Bea Arthur to portray the father of electricity in a farty historical drama that’s as wooden as George Washington’s teeth. It’s 1776 and Benjamin Franklin is world famous for his culture-shifting electrical discoveries, but his passion and political heft are tested when he goes on a secret mission to France to elicit their help in fighting the Redcoats. With the fate of American independence at stake, Franklin plays dangerous international spy games with all the energy of Johnny Cash quavering through his last album. 

Also playing:

The Big Door Prize Season 2 (April 24)

Visit Apple TV+ for a full list of releases.

Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 (April 4) – A surprise casualty of Paramount’s cost-cutting axe, the fifth and final season of Discovery follows the crew on a quest to find a mysterious and dangerous power source whose existence was deliberately hidden for centuries. When Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew are sent to retrieve a mysterious 800-year-old Romulan vessel, the artifact hidden inside is stolen by villains Moll and L’ak, leading to an epic chase. They’ll face stiff competition in the race to the prize from menacing enemies desperate to get their hands on the powerful object.

Knuckles (April 26) – Idris Elba is back as warrior echidna Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the spinoff series picking up where the movie left off and bridging the gap between films as Sonic 3 is currently in production. Knuckles keeps it tight as Earth’s no-nonsense guardian until Robotnik’s former colleague slithers into frame to kidnap him and use Knuckles’ energy to power his destructive plans. Originally designed as Sonic’s rival in the video game, the spiny soldier became so popular that creators had little choice but to work him into the game as a recurring and sympathetic character. Knuckles also features the voice acting talents of Adam Pally, Edi Patterson, Ellie Taylor, Rory McCann, Ben Schwartz, Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, and Rob Huebel.

Also playing: 

The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 (April 10) 

Dora (April 12)

CTRL+ALT+DESIRE (April 16)

Visit Paramount+ for a full list of releases.

Peacock

Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (April 1) – An emotional documentary charts WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt’s rise to worldwide fame and the struggles and successes that came with his remarkable career before his untimely death at 36. Narrated by Mark William Calaway aka The Undertaker, Becoming Immortal recognizes Bray as one of the most skillful, tenacious, and inventive pro wrestlers of all time, elevating the sport to working-class performance art. Previously-unseen archive footage and heartfelt interviews with Bray’s family, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Becky Lynch and Triple H are a testament to his creative and physical genius, celebrating a lasting legacy that continues to inspire. 

Orlando Bloom: To the Edge (April 18) – Actor and adventurer Orlando Bloom steps outside his comfort zone to tackle three extreme sports–free diving, rock climbing, and wingsuiting–to push his limits in some of the most dangerous sporting environments on the planet. With family, friends and his spiritual practice guiding his physical and mental journey, Bloom is trained by experts who help him overcome his fears and learn valuable lessons about himself. The star jumps out of planes, screams with exertion and gasps for air in breath-holding exercises, but between death-defying adrenalin spurts Bloom looks a little blank, as if already mentally casting about for the next risky high. 

Migration (April 19) – A family of ducks (Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Caspar Jennings and Tresi Gazal) leave the safety of their New England pond for an adventurous trip to the sunny sands of Jamaica. Their plans go south when they get lost and land in New York City, filled with unfamiliar perils. Their adventure inspires them to widen their horizons, be open to new friends and experiences, and accomplish more than they ever thought possible. 

Also playing: 

Community Seasons 1-6 (April 1) 

Visit Peacock for a full list of releases. 

AMC+

True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here Season 2 (April 18) – Hosted and executive produced by small town native, advocate and actress Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill, The Walking Dead), the powerful and captivating series puts a spotlight on murder cases from small towns across America where questions remain if justice has been fully served. Each episode sees Burton Morgan meet with family members and local insiders as she explores the twists and turns of the case and uncovers the unique challenges of small-town justice.

Parish (March 31) – Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) suits up for another criminal romp, and this time he’s also helming the project as executive producer. Gray Parish is a family man who owns a luxury car service in New Orleans, but after his son is violently murdered and his business collapses, an encounter with an old friend from his days as a wheelman brings back old habits. Gray sets out on a high-stakes collision course with Zimbabwean trafficking rings, organized crime and cops—buckle up for rubber-smoking chase scenes and driving stunts in posh automobiles. The six-episode series also stars Zackary Momoh (Harriet, Doctor Sleep), Paula Malcomson (Watchmen, The Hunger Games), Skeet Ulrich (Riverdale) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, Get Out).

Also playing: 

Alex Rider Season 3 (April 5)

Visit AMC+ for a full list of releases.