What to watch in April 2021: Everything new to Netflix, Amazon, SBS On Demand, Disney+ and more

You may as well quit your job now if you hold out any hope to even just sample the huge selection of new streaming movies and TV shows in April.

Sleep? Who needs sleep?

Snoozing, dozing and deep REM sleep will be a thing of the past in April because forsaking it is the only way you’ll even begin to sample the gargantuan feast of new TV shows and movies on streaming this month.

We’ll see you on the other side, bleary-eyed and emotional.

Mare Of Easttown (Binge/Foxtel Now*, April 19): HBO’s splashy new series is centred on a detective trying to solve a murder in her small town while her own life falls apart around her. It’s Kate Winslet’s first TV project in a decade and the cast also includes Guy Pearce, Jean Smart, Evan Peters and Angourie Rice.

Wakefield (iview, April 2): Set in a mental institution in NSW’s Blue Mountains, the patients in Ward C have their share of issues, ranging from hoarding to post-natal depression. But when the compassionate nurse everyone relies on starts to wonder if he’s being pushed over the edge when a song unlocks a past trauma, well, now we’re in trouble.

Line Of Duty S6 (Britbox, April 1): The very bingeable and high-octane British crime series is back for its sixth season, with another twisty case for the unit whose job is to police the police. Kelly Macdonald joins Jed Mercurio’s compulsive show.

Victorian England + supernatural powers = yes please.

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The Nevers (Binge/Foxtel Now, April 12): Starring Laura Donnelly, Olivia Williams, James Norton and Ann Skelly, The Nevers is a sci-fi drama set in Victorian England. A mysterious phenomena has imbued a group of women with supernatural abilities that could change the world.

I Met A Girl (Netflix, April 2): An Australian film about a musician with schizophrenia who meets a girl he falls head over heels in love with. When she vanishes with little more than a note asking him to meet her on the other side of the country, he decides to follow, but his brother isn’t convinced she ever existed. Stars Joel Jackson, Lily Sullivan and Brenton Thwaites.

The Tailings S1 (SBS On Demand, April 2): A six-part web series with 10-minute episodes, The Tailings is set in Tasmania and examines secrets and grief, focused on a teenager who’s recently lost her father in an incident that others are ready to write off as an accident.

Grand Designs UK S18 (Foxtel Now, April 29): The latest season of the original Grand Designs includes an ambitious barn conversion, the transformation of a dilapidated flour mill and thermal experiment. Despite being called season 18, these episodes are what aired in the UK earlier this year.

Jenna Coleman and Tahar Rahim in the 1970s-set The Serpent. Picture: Mammoth Screen Ltd/Roland Neveu

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The Serpent (Netflix, April 2): A huge hit when it premiered on BBC earlier in the year, The Serpent is based on the crimes of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who murdered at least 12 people on the Hippie Trail in the 1970s. Played with chilling menace by Tahar Rahim, the series follows his crimes and the dogged investigation by a Dutch diplomat to bring him down.

Frank Of Ireland (Amazon Prime, April 16): Written by brothers Brian Gleeson and Domhnall Gleeson (sons of Brendan) and Michael Maloney, this acerbic comedy stars Brian as a 32-year-old “musician” who hasn’t written a song or played a gig in seven years. He still lives with his mother and is a bit miffed his ex has found a new beau. But everything’s OK, OK?

Big Shot (Disney+, April 16): Created by Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett, this sports dramedy about a recently sacked fiery basketball coach who takes a job at a fancy girls school stars John Stamos. A fish out of water cum self-discovery tale.

Wahl Street (Foxtel Now, April 15): In case Entourage’s 96 episodes and one movie wasn’t enough, Mark Wahlberg is really building out his empire based on his personal brand. This six-episode docuseries will plunge into Wahlberg’s life as juggles his film career with his business ventures. We know he has an insanely micro-scheduled day, so if nothing else, seeing that in play should amuse.

Blithe Spirit drops in time for the Easter long weekend.

Blithe Spirit (Amazon Prime, April 2): Adapted from a Noel Coward play, this farcical comedy stars Dan Stevens as a famous mystery novelist with writer’s block. So, naturally, he invites a medium into their home as inspiration but her seance ends up bringing forth the ghost of his dead former wife, much to his chagrin and that of his new wife. It’s ludicrously funny and also stars Isla Fisher, Judi Dench and Leslie Mann.

The Handmaid’s Tale S4 (SBS On Demand, April 29): If you’re still following the dystopian angst of The Handmaid’s Tale, the fourth season will return you to the world of Gilead, where June’s crusade is fast running out of allies and hope.

National Geographic: Earth Moods (Disney+, April 16): Yes, it looks a bit like the screen saver for your Apple TV, but we can never have enough calming drone footage of this beautiful planet. There are five episodes in this series you can play in the background of whatever you’re doing.

Them (Amazon Prime, April 9): Created by Little Marvin and produced by Lena Waithe, Them is an anthology series that explores terror in America. The first season is set in the 1950s and centres on a black family that moves into a white neighbourhood in LA where their home becomes ground zero for malevolent forces.

Black Narcissus (Binge/Foxtel Now, April 5): Based on the same Rumer Godden novel the 1947 movie is based on, it’s the story of a group of nuns struggling to maintain their piousness at their convent in the Himalayas. It stars Gemma Arterton, Jim Broadbent, Aisling Franciosi and Diana Rigg in her final role.

Shadow and Bone is adapted from a popular YA fantasy novel series.

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Shadow And Bone (Netflix, April 23): A sprawling, expensive fantasy series based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha book trilogy. Set in a fantasy world in which lands are separated by a physical force called the Fold, a nobody cartographer has unleashed an enormous power that could hold the key to ending the terror. Stars Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes.

The Cook Up With Adam Liaw (SBS On Demand, April 19): The charismatic Adam Liaw will host a weeknight cooking program with a 200-episode run which will surely get your tastebuds salivating. Guests include Myf Warhurst, Colin Fassnidge, Kumi Taguchi and Marc Fennell.

Rutherford Falls (Stan, April 23): With Mike Schur on board as creator and his Brooklyn Nine-Nine colleague Sierra Teller Ornelas as showrunner, this Ed Helms series promises to have the laughs and the insights that smart comedies deliver. It’s set in a small town in conflict with itself about the statue of a founding father. This series has the largest Indigenous American writing staff on US TV.

Outlier S1 (SBS On Demand, April 2): A Norwegian crime drama centred on a criminologist who’s convinced the police have arrested the wrong man in the killing of a teenage girl. If only someone will listen to her before it’s too late. Stars Hanne Mathisen Haga.

The Mosquito Coast (Apple TV+, April 30): Adapted by Luther creator Neil Cross from the novel by Paul Theroux, it follows an inventor who suddenly uproots his family to Mexico when he finds himself on the run from the government. Fun fact, the lead is played by Justin Theroux, the author’s nephew.

The Mosquito Coast will available on Apple TV+ at the end of the month.

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Thunder Force (Netflix, April 9): Melissa McCarthy is a goddess but when she collaborates with her husband Ben Falcone, as she does here, it tends to be a bit of a misadventure. But if you like that kind of goofy and broad vibe that misses more than it hits, in Thunder Force she plays a woman accidentally imbued with superpowers by her best friend (Octavia Spencer).

Thin Ice S1 (SBS On Demand, April 22): This Swedish geopolitical thriller is set against the backdrop of a proposed treaty to stop oil drilling in the Arctic when a ship is attacked and kidnapped. A Swedish detective must try to rescue the crew while contending with the dirty politics of regional alliances and moneyed interests.

Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds (iview, April 6): Life-affirming and sure to make you smile, Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds, in which toddlers and seniors bond and connect, returns for another season.

The Booksellers (DocPlay, April 22): The world of New York City rare bookshops drives this cosy documentary feature that follows the quirky and passionate people that love nothing more than the musty smell of discovery.

Made For Love (Stan, April 1): With the charming Cristin Milioti as the lead, Made For Love could do everything wrong and we’d still watch it. Milioti plays a woman married to a tech billionaire genius. The problem is his idea of love is inserting a chip into her brain to monitor everything she sees, hears and feels. Creep.

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Michael B. Jordan means business.

Without Remorse (Amazon Prime, April 30): A muscly spin-off film from the Jack Ryan series and based on Tom Clancy’s books, this action thriller stars Michael B. Jordan as a Navy Seal who uncovers an international conspiracy while avenging the murder of his pregnant wife by Russian soldiers. Ooph, that is so much. But, Jordan? Always.

This Way Up (Stan, April 30): Aisling Bea’s honest, funny and warm comedy debuted in the UK in 2019 and has finally made its way to Australia. Bea plays a young Irish woman in London trying to find her way through the world again after a breakdown. Sharon Horgan plays her older sister.

Architecture On The Edge (Shelter, April 5): An original series from architecture and design streaming service Shelter, this series consists of six 15-minute episodes that each explore the architectural movement in Chile, showcasing impressive, awe-inspiring designs that will make you resent ubiquitous McMansions even more.

Friday Night Lights S1-5 (Binge, April 1): Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. And Friday Night Lights fans waiting for their beloved series to return to streaming will be winning this month. They might lose some sleep though, unable to tear themselves away from Coach and Mrs Coach.

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*Foxtel and Binge are majority owned by News Corp, publisher of news.com.au