It’s April! Which means it’s Spring! Which means it’s time to try new things, because anything is possible! Or maybe that’s just optimism speaking now that we’re firmly out of the movie and TV dead-zone that is the Winter. Regardless, we here at Screen Rant are trying something new for Spring.
Every month we’ve been bringing you a list of the best new releases that Netflix has to offer. Since we’ve been doing these lists we’ve seen the releases of so much great content that it’s hard to keep up. Master of None, Jessica Jones, Love, Daredevil; these things have come and gone from our lives and we’re all at the point where we need new content to fill the void. So while we’ll be bringing you the list of 10 New Netflix Additions You Need to Watch This April, right now we’re also bringing you the list of 10 Movies and TV Shows Leaving Netflix This April.
These are the movies and TV shows that you’ve been meaning to watch for years, and now that they’ll finally be gone this month. It’s finally time to dust them off, put them at the top of your list, and get binging.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) – April 1
Have you ever wondered when movie titles started throwing the number in the actual words of the title? Have you wanted to pin down what led to T3ken and Fant4stic? Do you want to blame 2 Fast 2 Furious? Because you might not be able to, considering that Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood (which is a real movie and not at all a big prank) came out the same year.
Regardless of its title, 2 Fast 2 Furious is an interesting look at a movie franchise at the beginning of its quest for identity. Considering that the Fast and Furious franchise is moving onto its eighth film and firmly rooted in the action-thriller genre, it’s amazing to think that over a decade ago, TheFast and the Furious franchise was still about street racing and tricked out Honda Civics. So if you want to see a Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson-free Fast and Furious film, you better catch this one before it’s scrubbed from existence on April 1st.
Hook (1991) – April 1
Does Hook deserve all the hate it gets, or is it okay to have fond memories of this Spielberg directed family-adventure starring Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams? That’s the age old question, and we’re here to tell you that yes, it is indeed okay to have fond memories of this film.
The re-imagining of Peter Pan was, uh, panned when it came out in 1991, but has since been remembered as a fun showcase for two once-in-a-lifetime actors as they shared the screen, chewed up scenery, and had a fun time with the material they were given. Along with the performances, Hook features a variety of beautifully built sets and visuals, as well as fun action and direction that you just wouldn’t get from a modern-day blockbuster. So now that you have our permission to not only watch Hook, but to enjoy it too, you better catch it right now on Netflix and relive those fond memories before April 1st comes around.
Starship Troopers (1997) – April 1
If you’ve been getting Starship Troopers confused with Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Galaxy Quest, Super Troopers, or any number of other films over the years, you need to set your mind straight. Starship Troopers is none of those other films, it’s only Starship Troopers, and it’s a delightful satirical look at science fiction movies that is just as fun and funny was it was when it was released nearly two decades ago.
With a massive budget for the time (and even for now) of around $105 million dollars, Starship Troopers features much higher production value than you would ever guess, and as a result it’s held up incredibly well in terms of visuals and spectacle. While most of the cast would be unrecognizable to a modern-day audience, that only serves to make the film a more rewarding experience when you watch it now; it plays as out of time and place is it’s meant to. The result is a film that looks like nothing that could ever get made in today’s Hollywood environment, and yet it’s thoroughly enjoyable on every level and absolutely worth a watch before it’s gone.
Hotel Rwanda (2004) – April 1
Sometimes Netflix can be there for us when we want to feel intelligent and informed and socially conscious, and for those occasions, we need to watch films like Hotel Rwanda. This Don Cheadle film was released in 2004 on the way to three Oscar nominations and worldwide critical acclaim.
The true story of the war and subsequent genocide in Rwanda, Hotel Rwanda tells a small-scale human story amidst an awful, mind-boggling tragedy. Like the best films that get up close and personal with historical atrocities, Hotel Rwanda is a powerful film packed with powerful performances that make it a must see; no matter how long it’s been since its release.
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) – April 1
If you’ve been hearing an awful lot about American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson lately but have been waiting for it to appear on Netflix before watching, look no further, because… Well, this isn’t it. But The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear is in fact a very funny movie that just so happens to star O.J. Simpson. You know, pre-Trial of the Century. Because before he was an alleged murderer, and after he was a football player, he was actually an actor known for the Naked Gun series! Isn’t that fun?
Also starring Leslie Neilsen, the Naked Gun films are very fun spoofs that still hold up to this day. Full of equally sharp wit and incredibly childish humor, The Naked Gun 2 ½ is a beautiful way to spend a few hours and bask in the films of a simpler time. A time when John Travolta wasn’t in a courtroom with Ross from Friends in order to defend Cuba Gooding Jr. from murder charges. So yeah, this is no American Crime Story, but we guarantee it’s funnier!
Short Poppies: Season 1 – April 3
If you know who Rhys Darby is then Short Poppies should already be playing on Netflix in front of you at this very moment. If you don’t know who Rhys Darby is, then you should seek out Flight of the Conchords, then watch Short Poppies. Either way there’s no good reason not to watch Short Poppies before it disappears from Netflix on April 3rd.
New Zealand comedian/amazing human/sound effects wizard Rhys Darby stars in this very New Zealandey comedy where he plays a variety of roles in a small bundle of increasingly hilarious episodes. Comparisons could be made to other shows such as Summer Heights High (and not just because of the accents), but those comparisons wouldn’t be entirely accurate since Rhys Darby is the only person capable of doing something that Rhys Darby can do. And here, Rhys Darby does a whole lot of Rhys Darby. Watch it while you still can.
Let the Right One In (2008) – April 10
Let the Right One In is a spectacular film that will not only chill you to the bone, but will make you feel pretty smart too, because it has subtitles and it’s Swedish and by watching it you’ll be watching one of the best foreign films made in the last decade. It’s beautiful, haunting, sad, exciting, tense, and will definitely be on your list of favorite films by the time you’re done watching it.
Based on the 2004 novel of the same name, if Let the Right One In sounds familiar to you it’s because it was adapted into an American film by Matt Reeves in 2010 called Let Me In, and that film stands with this one as being one of the greatest works of horror filmmaking in recent memory. But right now we’re talking about the original, and the more we talk about it the more time you’re spending not watching it. Considering that it’s leaving Netflix April 10th, it would be unacceptable to talk about anything else until you go watch Let the Right One In.
New York, I Love You (2008) – April 15
Do you love New York? Do you love stories about New York? Do you love multiple stories about New York that all combine into one larger film that is both delightfully charming and stars every movie star ever, as well as every iconic New York street corner ever? If you said no to all of those questions, you’re reading the wrong entry on this list. If you said yes to any of those, congratulations, you’ve found New York, I Love You, the perfect movie for you.
Consisting of eleven short films, each made by a different director and staring a different group of actors, New York, I Love You is like Movie 43 if Movie 43 was about New York and, like, good. Maybe that was a bad comparison. Hopefully we didn’t just ruin this film for you, because you really would like it!
Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007) – April 16
No, this isn’t Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, this is Mr. Bean’s (regular sized) Holiday. But you’d be forgiven for confusing the two considering that this film is also the modern revival of a popular man-child bicycle-loving character who goes on holiday and gets into family-friendly hijinks along the way.
If you’re at all into Mr. Bean, Mr. Bean’s Holiday is an enjoyable film that literally gives you all the Mr. Bean you can handle in one movie. He still doesn’t talk, he still has really dramatic eyebrows, he’s still very British. Everything you love about Mr. Bean is here, but this time the rest of the world gets to love those things about Mr. Bean too, because he – as you might have guessed – goes on holiday. Join him while you still can.
Lord of War (2005) – April 17
Oh, Nicolas Cage. When will you find whatever it is you’re looking for?
We’re just genuinely wondering about the above question, mostly because Lord of War makes us remember what Cage is possible of when he’s put in a good film with a good cast and a good script, instead of any number of his recent films about witches.
Playing an arms-dealer and general all-around morally-complex character, Nic Cage shines here with his usual mix of intensity and melancholy. Bringing life to material that could’ve collapsed under a less compelling lead actor, Cage leads Lord of War away from being a forgettable warning about gunrunning and into a genuinely compelling drama that showcases all the talents of an Oscar-winning actor that has chosen worse and worse roles in the decade since this film was released.
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Which films are you going to watch before they’re gone? Let us know in the comments!
