11 movies to check out on Netflix this April

It’s been 26 years since Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, and Matt Dillon hooked up to play a scheming threesome in the steamy, Florida-set, neo-noir thriller . Spring is the perfect season to stream the titillating John McNaughton-directed movie, also starring Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell, Robert Wagner, and Bill Murray. There is a more explicit unrated version of Wild Things available on disc, but we’re not sure if Netflix is going to go for that or the R-rated theatrical version. Either way, dive in if you’re thirsty for ’90s thrillers.

“An hour of television can change anything” says Billie Piper in the trailer for the biographical drama Scoop, based on Prince Andrew’s infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. The official Scoop description reads: “The eyes of Britain were on journalist Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson) as she grilled the royal (Rufus Sewell) about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The fallout was immediate, as Prince Andrew announced that he was stepping back from his public duties in the days following the broadcast.” Directed by Philip Martin, Scoop also stars Keeley Hawes, Connor Swindells, Romola Garai, and Charity Wakefield.

Renny Harlin’s action-thriller The Bricklayer, based on the 2010 novel of the same name, stars Aaron Eckhart, Nina Dobrev, and Tim Blake Nelson. The official description of the Vertical film reads: “When a rogue insurgent blackmails the CIA by assassinating foreign journalists and framing the government, the agency must lure their most brilliant yet rebellious operative out of retirement to unravel the international conspiracy.”

Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke play gunslinging lovers in Pedro Almodóvar’s short Western Strange Way Of Life. The A.V. Club’s writes: “The plot is simple enough: A cowboy and expert gunslinger named Silva (Pedro Pascal) rides across the desert to meet a cowboy-turned-sheriff named Jake (Ethan Hawke) after decades of estrangement. However, Silva has ulterior motives beyond rekindling the long-extinguished flame of a desirous relationship. Silva’s son may have committed a murder and he’s not above seducing his old lover to save his son.” Although the story needs more breathing room than 31 minutes, fans of Hawke and Pascal will want to check this one out.

The official description of the BBC documentary Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel reads: “Across a glittering 40-year career, Hans Zimmer has redefined the movie score and become one of the most celebrated and sought-after composers in Hollywood. This documentary presents the story of the legendary composer, as told by the man himself and his closest collaborators. Hans reveals the musical secrets of his craft used to create the unforgettable soundtracks for films such as Gladiator, Inception, The Dark Knight, and Dune.” Zimmer has won two Best Original Score Oscars, for 1995's The Lion King and 2021's Dune.

Netflix surely added The Fifth Element director Luc Besson’s action-thriller Anna to its library in April because one of the stars is Cillian Murphy, who just won a Best Actor Oscar for Oppenheimer. The A.V. Club’s writes: “Anna Poliatova (Sasha Luss) is an elite KGB assassin who moonlights as a model—bleached blonde, bisexual, handy with a silenced pistol, always dressed in short skirts and stockings with garters. Trained to kill by her handler-slash-lover Alex (Luke Evans) and her frosty superior Olga (Helen Mirren), Anna has come to Paris in the cold months of 1990, using fashion shoots for cover as she seduces and executes assorted businessmen.”

The second chapter in Zack Snyder’s sci-fi epic stars Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Cary Elwes, and Anthony Hopkins. According to Netflix: “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once-peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle, the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.” If that sounds intriguing to you, check out Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire on Netflix before The Scargiver.

The official description for the music documentary Duran Duran: There’s Something You Should Know reads: “Charting their trajectory over four decades, the band’s story is told through seven of their albums. Each record uncovers a compelling chapter in the band’s journey.” Duran Duran — including Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, and Nick Rhodes — are the English lads behind the hits “Planet Earth,” “Wild Boys,” “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Come Undone,” “Ordinary World,” “The Reflex,” and “A View To A Kill,” the theme song to the 1985 James Bond movie of the same name.

The golden age of the romantic comedy flickered out after Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts stopped making good ones, but Anyone But You starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell connected with both critics and audiences. The official synopsis reads: “After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s fiery attraction turns ice-cold—until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.” The Will Gluck-directed movie also stars Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Griffiths.

After slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, Will Smith went back onstage to accept the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard. In the biographical sports drama directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Smith plays Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis-star siblings Venus and Serena Williams. The A.V. Club’s writes, “King Richard is engrossing as it plays out, but the heat of its emotions cool off quickly. There’s only so much a movie can do with repeated exaltations that father sure does know best.”

City Hunter is a Japanese live-action adaptation of the manga that has sold more than 50 million copies. The official description reads: “City Hunter follows Ryo Saeba (Ryohei Suzuki), a premier ‘sweeper’ who navigates the shadowy depths of modern-day Shinjuku, Tokyo. Balancing a cool demeanor with a fun personality, Ryo takes on high-stakes challenges in the underworld. Misato Morita steps into the role of the heroine, Kaori Makimura, in this action-packed adventure.”