Please note: These are the titles that are coming to the UK but the ‘Netflix Originals’ that are listed should be making their way to other territories too.
April 1st
The Bubble (2022) Set in a hotel during the recent pandemic, this Judd Apatow-directed comedy features Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Iris Apatow, and Kate McKinnon as the cast and crew of a struggling film shoot. A lot of films of late have used the pandemic as a background for their plotting but as this is a comedy, the film should be far lighter than the post-apocalyptic nonsense that has been streamed elsewhere. Battle: Freestyle (2022) As you can guess from the title, this is yet another dance movie about a group of young hopefuls hoping to make it to the finals. But as it also deals with the relationship between a young woman and her estranged mother, it promises to offer more than just a few nicely choreographed dance scenes. The Last Bus: Season 1 (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL Mercifully, this isn’t the maudlin Timothy Spall drama that graced cinema screens last year. While he groaned and grimaced his way from bus stop to bus stop, this series is a far more exciting affair about a group of young teens who come together to fight an army of drones that were originally created to clean up the environment. Robert Sheehan stars as the creator of these eco-friendly nightmares (the drones, not the kids) and a familiar cast of young faces appears alongside him. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL In space, no one can hear you dream! That isn’t the tagline of this new animated movie from Richard Linklater but if there is ever a sequel, I’m happy if he pays me to use it. The film tells the story of 10-year old Jack and the summer of 1969 when he imagined himself to be part of the space race to the moon. Early reviews suggest this is something special as does the animation, which looks astonishing. Pet Sematary (1989) Sometimes dead is better! Unfortunately, the father of one family doesn’t heed this warning from his friendly old neighbour when, after discovering a pet cemetery with the power to bring the dead back to life, he decides to bury his son there after the youngster is killed on the nearby highway. Bad move! The Stephen King novel this was based on was infinitely more disturbing – sometimes read is better – but this is still a pretty good horror movie. Captain Nova (2022) This Dutch sci-fi movie doesn’t have many reviews at the time of writing but the premise – a fighter pilot from a desolate future transforms into her younger self while travelling back in time to avert global disaster – certainly sounds interesting. It’s probably one for the younger members of the family to watch but if you like time travel movies, you might want to give it a go anyway.
April 3rd
Confession (2022) Last year’s Mass featured a small group of people who met together in a church to discuss a shocking tragedy. Despite the small scale of that production, the movie was something special as it transcended its low-key setting. Confession takes place in a church too, but while it features another small group of characters (one of whom is armed with a gun), reviews suggest its nowhere near as good as the aforementioned chamber piece.
April 4th
The Goldfinch (2019) John Crowley’s film was slated by the critics upon its release, largely because it barely resembled the book on which it was based. Despite this misstep, it’s not that bad, largely because of the fine performance of Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort, who stars as Thomas Decker, a young man whose life changes after his mother dies in a terrorist bombing. Fans of the book will probably want to give this one a miss but if you haven’t read it, you shouldn’t be too disgruntled by the narrative changes.
April 6th
Furioza (2022) Sadly not a spin-off of Mad Max: Fury Road but a Polish crime drama about a man who gets drawn into an organised criminal group. There aren’t a lot of reviews for this one but from what I have read about it online, it does seem awfully generic. The sequel – Fast and Furioza – has not yet been announced.
April 8th
Dancing on Glass (2022) Metal Lords (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL Outside of the noise people in brass bands make, heavy metal music is the worst. Needless to say, my expectations for this film were low when it first caught my attention. However, this tale of a group of kids that are obsessed with heavy metal comes from the mind of Game of Thrones co-creator D.B. Weiss, so it promises to be a better take on the ‘Battle of the Bands’ type films than we have seen before. The trailer looks quite good too so while I won’t be painting my face to look like a KISS band member anytime soon, I might give this one a go. Dirty Lines (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL A Dutch series about a phone sex line set in the 1980s! An unusual subject matter to be sure but as it’s based on the true story of the world’s first erotic phone line, this might be more interesting than it sounds. And despite Netflix’s rising subscription prices, watching this film will still be cheaper than phoning one of those premium rate sex lines for real! The In Between (2022) After her boyfriend dies in a tragic accident, a teenage girl starts to believe he is sending her messages from beyond the grave. Talented actors Joey King and Kyle Allen are the lead actors in what I presume to be a romantic drama rather than another Sixth Sense-style chiller.
Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (2022) The trailer for this Korean spy thriller promises an action-packed thrill ride. Whether or not it lives up to that promise remains to be seen as there are no reviews for this one at the time of writing.
April 11th
Joker (2019) Joaquin Phoenix rightly won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. This dark reimagining of the Joker character is one of the best films of the last few years and if you haven’t caught it yet, now is your opportunity.
April 12th
Hard Cell (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL A mock documentary about a women’s prison with Catherine Tate portraying multiple characters. If you’re a fan of the comedienne, you will likely get a kick out of this. If you’re not, you probably won’t be won over by the trailer’s hard sell. Sorry!
April 15th
Choose or Die (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL A British horror film about a broke student who plays an obscure 1980 computer survival game in order to win an unclaimed cash prize. She should have stuck with Manic Miner or Jet Set Willy, as after playing the game, she realises her life is now in danger. Despite my love for classic 80s video games, this movie sounds a bit rubbish. But as Asa Butterfield and Eddie Marsan are among the cast, I’m hoping for something that is more Commodore 64 level of quality and less ZX81.
April 20th
Russian Doll: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL The first season of this American comedy series was great so here’s hoping this next installment follows suit. Natasha Lyonne stars as Nadia, a young woman who keeps dying and waking up to relive her 36th birthday. It’s the kind of premise that we have seen before but this still manages to do new things as it chronicles Nadia’s predicament. Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes This follow-up to Netflix’s Ted Bundy series turns its attention to John Wayne Gacy, the sadistic serial killer who preyed on vulnerable young men in the 1970s. Gacy is now dead, after being put to death by lethal injection in 1994, but taped conversations with him still exist. If you like this kind of thing (although ‘like’ probably isn’t the right word), you will want to tune in. The Turning Point (2022) Italian thriller about a peaceful slacker who strikes up a friendship with a dangerous thug. Needless to say, his life goes from bad to worse when the man he has befriended forces his way into his life. Little is known about this film at present but it certainly looks interesting.
April 21st
He’s Expecting: Season 1 In 1994, Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘hilariously’ got pregnant in Junior. While this Korean series has nothing to do with Ivan Reitman’s comedy, it has a similar premise, as an advertising executive one day discovers that he is going to have a baby. How this happens I have no idea but you can find out for yourself when the series lands on Netflix.
April 22nd
Along For the Ride (2022) A rom-com about second chances! Based on a popular novel by Sarah Dessen, this is for you if you like teen romances. If you’re not a fan, you probably shouldn’t go along for the ride.
Heartstopper: Season 1 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Based on a series of graphic novels, this is an LGBTQ+ romantic drama about two boys who develop feelings for one another while at school. Kit Connor, best known for playing the young Elton John in Rocketman, stars as one of the teens and he is joined by newcomer Joe Locke. Judging by the trailer, this looks quite promising, so should be one to watch, especially if you have experienced your own coming-out journey.
April 27th
Silverton Siege (2022) NETFLIX ORIGINAL This action-thriller is based on the true story of a group of anti-apartheid freedom fighters who end up in a tense bank hostage situation when a sabotage mission goes wrong. Their demands? Free Nelson Mandela!
April 28th
The 7 Lives of Lea: Season 1 After a woman stumbles upon the body of a teenager who disappeared 30 years earlier, she is somehow transported back to 1991 where she wakes up every morning in the body of a different person. Confused? Me too, but until the Quantum Leap reboot finally happens, this might be the one to fill the gap for now. Bubble (2022) After bubbles that broke the law of gravity rain down upon the world, a group of young people in Tokyo become cut off from the outside world and their families. This Japanese anime certainly has a bonkers plot but the animation is great and the story, while weird, is quite intriguing.
Other titles coming to Netflix UK this April
April 1st Taxi Driver (1976) Warm Bodies (2003) A Beautiful Mind (2001) The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005) Arthur Christmas (2011) Call Me By Your Name (2017) Case 39 (2009) The Girl On the Train (2016) Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) Kung Fu Panda (2008) In Good Company (2004) All We Had (2016) Get Organized with The Home Edit: Season 2 Trivia Quest Abby Hatcher: Season 2 Rise Of The Footsoldier: Part 2 (2015) Stray (2020) How the Nazis Last the War: Season 1 The Women (2008) Tomorrow: Season 1 Celeb Five: Behind the Curtain Oddbods: Season 3 Forever Out Of My League (2021) The Contractor (2007) The Legend of Zorro (2005) Looper (2012) Rebellion Beyblade Burst Surge: Season 1 Cocomelon: Season 5 Stunt Science: Season 1 The Hard Corps (2006) 90 Minutes in Heaven (2015) Open Season (2006) Open Season 2 (2008) Open Season 3 (2010) Over the Hedge (2006) The Swan Princess (1994) Spy Kids (2001) Open Season: Scared Silly (2015) April 5th The Revenge of Robert the Doll (2018) Robert Reborn (2018) Maitre du Monde (2011) Adios Amigos (2016) Het Leven Is Vurrukkulluk (2018) Homies (2015) Snuf de Hond in Oorlogstijd (2008) Snuf de Hond En Het Spookslot (2010) Snuf de Hond En De Ijsvogel (2010) Pau, La Forca d’Un Silenci (2017) Black Dog: Being a Teacher: Season 1 Sneekweek (2016) Penny’s Shadow (2011) April 6th Palpito: Season 1 NETFLIX ORIGINAL The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On: Season 1 Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story Henry Miller: Prophet of Desire Etharkkum Thunindhavan (2022) Green Mothers’ Club: Season 1 Michela Giraud: The Truth, I Swear! April 7th Return to Space Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star: Season 1 April 8th Elite: Season 5 Green Eggs and Ham: Season 2 Tiger & Bunny: Season 2 April 9th Our Blues: Season 1 My Liberation Notes: Season 1 April 12th The Creature Cases: Season 1 Jump like a Witch: Season 1 April 13th The Taming of the Shrewd (2022) Our Great National Parks: Season 1 Smother-in-Law: Season 1 Almost Happy: Season 2 April 14th Ultraman: Season 2 The Worst Witch: Season 4 April 15th Anatomy Of a Scandal: Season 1 Heirs to the Land: Season 1 Mai: A Mother’s Rage: Season 1 April 16th The Man of God (2022) The Utah Cabin Murders (2019) Simon Poltergeist Activity (2015) The Curse of Halloween Jack (2019) A Fistful of Lead (2018) Alcatraz (2018) Almost There (2014) Modern Slavery Adormidera (2013) Eine Stadt ohne Wasser: Warnung aus Sudafrika (2018) Golden Age Evolution April 17th Sea Fever (2019) April 19th Battle Kitty: Season 1 Pacific Rim: The Black: Season 2 Better Call Saul: Season 6 White Hot: the Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch April 20th The Marked Heart: Season 1 Yakamoz S-245: Season 1 April 22nd Selling Sunset: Season 5 Taxi Driver: Series 1 April 23rd The Curse of Robert (2016) Spirit of the Ball (2019) Athos Jargo (2004) The Manson Family Massacre (2019) April 26th David Spade: Nothing Personal April 27th The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes April 28th Samurai Rabbit: Season 1 April 29th Grace and Frankie: Season 7 Ozark: Season 4 – Part 2
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