If you’re looking for new movies to stream, you’ve come to the right place. April brings a host of new films to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Max, Prime Video, Disney+ and Paramount+, and we’ve whittled down the list of what’s new on each to the best of the best. That includes a buzzy A24 movie starring Nicole Kidman, an action film starring Viola Davis as the President of the United States, yet another action movie starring Tom Hardy from the director of “The Raid” and a film all about late ’90s nostalgia. Plus so much more.
Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming in April below.
“Banger”
Netflix – April 2
One of the most fun movies of 2025, “Banger” is the feature directorial debut of So Me, a French animator, graphic designer and filmmaker, who you probably know from his work with Ed Banger Records, the influential French label run by Daft Punk’s former manager Pedro Winter. (Their current roster includes Justice, SebastiAn and fellow filmmaker Mr. Oizo.) So Me drew on his knowledge of the electronic dance scene and his love of movies like “Serpico” for this absolutely delightful movie, which liberally mixes comedy and thriller elements. Vincent Cassel, perhaps looking more attractive than he ever has before, plays an aging DJ who goes by the name Scorpex. He’s recruited by a drug task force to take down a fellow DJ, one that he feels is already trying to steal his thunder. And the results are, of course, utterly madcap. Not only is “Banger” a striking debut because of the technical quality of the movie, but it’s genuinely impressive to see a first-time feature filmmaker with such utter mastery of tone and style. It’s just wonderful. Also wonderful: music world cameos (yes, that’s Justice rifling through a record store) and a fully danceable score by Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele (here credited as 2manydjs). This film is a joy. Treasure it.
“Y2K”
Max – April 4
What if all of our fears about the Y2K bug – computers shutting down, air traffic controls going bust, robotic creatures forming out of the technological debris of Game Boys and boomboxes coming to life and murdering us all – came true. “Y2K,” from writer/director/star Kyle Mooney, certainly hones in on that last part, following a group of kids on New Year’s Eve at the turn of the millennia (Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison) as they fight for survival against a robotic horde. (The creatures were created by Peter Jackson’s Wētā Workshop.) If you didn’t live through Y2K hysteria, you might wonder what the big deal is, but for those of us who were around, this feels like every nightmare you had around this time (including, for some reason, the appearance of several members of Limp Bizkit). If you love Mooney’s off kilter brand of humor, the handmade charm of gruesome creature features like “Evil Dead 2,” or want a killer blast of nostalgia, “Y2K” should do the trick. As Chumbawumba once said – you get knocked down, but you get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down.
“Not Just a Goof”
Disney+ – April 7
When “A Goofy Movie” was released 30 years ago, it barely made a dent in the public consciousness. Made on the cheap, by folks from Walt Disney Feature Animation (as it was then known) working within the television animation pipeline, it was critically panned and didn’t even recoup its modest budget. But in the years that followed, the cult of “A Goofy Movie” grew. It took root in the African American community and spoke to a generation that had tenuous (at best) relationships with their parents. And now, it’s more widely seen as a modern classic than not. “A Goofy Movie,” made with the cooperation of the original filmmakers, looks at the making of the movie (with incredible behind-the-scenes footage never seen before) and the cultural impact that it now has. Surprisingly emotional and sometimes unflinchingly raw, “Not Just a Goof” is the definitive account of the making of “A Goofy Movie” and how it became the towering achievement it is today. (You also get to see an animated, “Goofy Movie” version of Jeffrey Katzenberg, which is worth it alone.) It’s weird to think of any movie produced by Disney being an underground hit, but that’s certainly what “A Goofy Movie” was.
“G20”
Prime Video – April 10
In “G20” Viola Davis plays the President of the United States, who, while attending the G20 summit in South Africa, must battle terrorists led by “The Boys” star Anthony Starr. Do you really need another reason to watch “G20?” So be it! The cast also includes Anthony Anderson as Davis’ husband (the First Gentleman), Angela Sarafyan from “Westworld” and Marsai Martin from “Black-ish” as Davis’ daughter. Also the always-wonderful Clark Gregg stars as the Vice President. Director Patricia Riggen has directed multiple episodes of “Jack Ryan,” so she has the bona fides necessary to make a hard-charging action movie. And we have had decades of “Die Hard” on a … movies, so it’s about time that particular subgenre reached the point where it was taking place at the G20 summit, with Davis as president. It just makes sense, ya know?
“The Abyss” 4K
Disney+ – April 11
James Cameron’s 1989 underwater adventure “The Abyss,” which for many years was extremely difficult to find, was finally remastered in 4K and released digitally and on 4K UHD disc. Now, that new restoration is finally making its streaming debut. If you’ve never seen “The Abyss,” this is the perfect time to give it a shot. After a nuclear submarine has an encounter with an unidentified object underwater, a team of Navy SEALs attempts to salvage the wreck before the Russians get there first. Ed Harris plays a roughneck overseeing an underwater oil rig and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is his ex-wife and designer of the rig who assists the SEALs on their mission. (Frequent Cameron collaborator Michael Biehn plays a member of the SEAL team that starts to lose it underwater.) “The Abyss” was one of the most tortured productions in Hollywood history, mostly because Cameron’s ambition predated what was technically possible at the time. (There’s a creature made out of water that was one of the first computer-generated characters created by Industrial Light & Magic.) It remains a true unsung Cameron gem. And we’re so happy it’s available to stream, looking and sounding better than ever.
“Pets”
Disney+ – April 11
Advertised as “a different breed of documentary” and premiering on National Pets Day, “Pets” hails from director Bryce Dallas Howard. The official synopsis describes the documentary as “explores the extraordinary relationship that exists between animals and their people, all around the world. The documentary invites viewers on an uplifting journey that showcases the universal love transcending species, filled with moments of laughter, tenderness, and genuine emotion.” The documentary follows Howard’s 2019 film “Dads” and was produced by Imagine Documentaries, the team behind her father Ron Howard’s “Jim Henson: Idea Man.” This feels like the rare documentary that is as adorable as it is informative. Watch it with your furry friend.
“Conclave”
Prime Video – April 13
You’ve seen the memes. You saw it win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar. Now watch the movie. “Conclave” concerns a papal conclave in which sequestered priests must select the new Pope. But in-fighting, hidden secrets and power plays throw a wrench into the proceedings as Ralph Fiennes tries to keep everyone in order. It’s a fun, thrilling affair that builds to a jaw-dropping finish.
“Companion”
Max – April 18
A couple takes a weekend getaway to a cabin with friends, only for the trip to get upended when it’s revealed that one of the people is a companion robot. That’s the plot of the fun, twisty “Companion,” which stars “Yellowjackets” alum Sophie Thatcher as said robot and Jack Quaid as her human love interest. Written and directed by Drew Hancock, this makes for a perfect date night movie.
“The Order”
Hulu – April 18
One of last year’s best, most unsung thrillers is now available for you to stream at home. “The Order,” based on a 1989 nonfiction book called “The Silent Brotherhood: The Chilling Inside Story of America’s Violent, Anti-Government Militia Movement” by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, follows a string of baffling robberies that an FBI agent (Jude Law, who should have probably been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar) starts to slowly realize is the work of an extreme white supremacist cell, led by a charismatic and creepy Nicholas Hoult. They are robbing banks, you see, to fund their domestic terror operation. As you can imagine, these incidents, which took place in 1983 and 1984, were the prelude to everything from the Ruby Ridge massacre to the Oklahoma City bombing and have ramifications that reverberate even today. Director Justin Kurzel has made a career out of turning true stories into gripping, edge-of-your-seat thrillers – but his previous work has all been centered on Australia (“Snowtown,” “True History of the Kelly Gang” and “Nitram”). Now, he has set his sights on America and the results are absolutely stunning. This is the kind of hard-boiled suspense piece that used to play in every theater across the country, rack up Oscar nominations and make a ton of money. Now it feels like a throwback, something to be treasured and protected. Your order? Watch “The Order.”
“Wolf Man”
Peacock – April 18
In 2020 Leigh Whannell, the screenwriter behind the “Saw” and “Insidious” franchises, wrote and directed “The Invisible Man,” a whip-smart contemporizing of the beloved Universal Monsters character. It had a technological bent, some killer set pieces and a lead performance from Elisabeth Moss that should go in the horror hall of fame. You can understand why he would return to the Universal Monsters arena that suited him so well, and while “Wolf Man” follows a similar approach, it is (sadly) not the instant horror classic that “Invisible Man” was. That isn’t to say the movie is a total wash; it takes a young family (led by Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner) and strands them at a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere while Abbott undergoes his transformation. The actors are compelling, as are the prosthetic effects, but “Wolf Man” really howls when it gets into the nitty-gritty – perhaps the greatest scene is when Abbott follows a noise pounding in his head only to realize that it is a small spider tiptoeing around an upstairs room. There’s also a nifty bit where we see “wolf vision” – how the wolf man hunts his prey, via thermal imaging a la the “Predator.” Where the movie falters, perhaps, is in proving appropriate emotional stakes. It’s just harder to care. But you might feel differently. Especially if there’s a full moon out.
“The Room Next Door”
Netflix – April 19
“The Room Next Door” is Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar’s debut English-language feature, an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s 2020 novel “What Are You Going For,” starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. In the movie Swinton plays a woman who reconnects with an old friend (Moore) later in life. Swinton has an ulterior motive, though – she is battling terminal cancer and wants to take her own life, enlisting Moore as the person in “the room next door.” That way, when she finds Swinton’s body, she can answer any questions that the police might have and clean up the scene appropriately. Together, the old friends will spend the last days of Swinton’s life together as they talk about life and love and their shared memories. The movie is very much worth watching without ever elevating itself to the heights of Almodóvar’s very best work (think “All About My Mother,” “Volver,” even his recent triumph “Pain and Glory”). What keeps it from greatness? Well, its overwhelming glumness and the occasionally silly dialogue (hearing Swinton talk about buying suicide pills off the “dark web” is really something) do a lot to keep it from soaring. But mediocre Almodóvar is like mediocre pizza – it’s still pretty good.
“Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey”
Netflix – April 21
Filmmaker Pippa Ehrlich’s last movie was “My Octopus Teacher,” an Oscar-winning chronicle of a documentary filmmaker named Craig Foster and his relationship with an octopus in a South African kelp forest. It was heartwarming and strange and ultimately tragic (we won’t give it away here), but also singularly powerful. And it looks like Ehrlich will bring that same magic to their latest production – “Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey.” A pangolin is a small, scaly mammal that is hunted in Asia and Africa and is one of the most trafficked animals on the planet. According to the official synopsis, the new documentary “follows a man who finds new purpose when he helps rescue a baby pangolin, Kulu, in a sting operation in South Africa. He leaves the city and embarks on a heartfelt mission to rehabilitate and prepare the vulnerable animal for a life of freedom in the wild.” Netflix describes it as a “poignant exploration of the connection between humans and the creatures we share our world with.” If you can make it through the trailer without crying then you’re stronger than us.
“Gladiator II”
Prime Video – April 22
A sequel to 2000’s Oscar-winning, Zeitgeist-capturing “Gladiator” was always going to be an iffy proposition. But the fact that Ridley Scott returned with such a brutally entertaining, full-bodied follow-up is damn near miraculous. “Gladiator II” follows the son of Maximus (Paul Mescal), who is secreted away by his mother (Connie Nielsen) after the events of the first film. Of course, he gets dragged back to Rome and enlisted as a gladiator by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who has designs all his own. To say “Gladiator II” is overstuffed is an understatement. This is a movie that has a sequence with gladiators fighting baboons, twin emperors who are definitely giving “White Lotus” vibes (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), and a sequence where the coliseum is flooded with water and the combatants eaten by sharks. Nobody does it like Ridley. While Washington was robbed of a rightful Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, the movie made almost $500 million at the global box office, which isn’t too shabby. Are you not entertained?
“Sea Lions of the Galapagos”
Disney+ – April 22
In 1948 Walt Disney released “Seal Island,” a 27-minute-long movie that documented seals off the coast of a volcanic island in Alaska. It was the first of his “True-Life Adventures” and the first nature documentary ever. So it makes since that for Earth Day this year Disney, through their Disneynature label, will return to sea lions – this time in a much warmer climate. “Sea Lions of the Galapagos” follows Leo, a sea lion pup. According to the official synopsis, Leo “leaves his mother’s colony to find his own home following swimming lessons, fishing expeditions and some growing up. Male sea lions must fight to earn the best spots, and only the strongest will become beachmasters. Leo’s lifelong quest is fraught with challenges and filled with new encounters with an array of creatures, from marine iguanas and racer snakes to yellow fin tuna and huge Galapagos sharks.” Sounds dangerous and sweet, with Brendan Fraser providing some warm-hearted narration. For animal lovers and Disney aficionados alike, the Earth Day debut of a new Disneynature film has become an annual event. “Sea Lions of the Galapagos” is no different.
“Bullet Train Explosion”
Netflix – April 23
In 1975 “The Bullet Train,” a Japanese thriller directed by Junya Sato and co-starring the legendary Sonny Chiba, debuted. It featured a bullet train that was rigged with explosives; if it went below a certain speed, the explosives would detonate. Not only would the film inspire Jan de Bont’s brilliant American action movie “Speed” but it would also lead to this, a kind of legacy sequel/remake, “Bullet Train Explosion.” This time the mayhem is choreographed by director Shinji Higuchi, whose credits include “Shin Godzilla” and “Shin Ultraman” (both made with Hideaki Anno). And you can feel some of that “Shin Godzilla” energy in the new film, the way that Higuchi explicitly details the bureaucratic response to the terrorist threat and how he is able to expertly build tension while never losing sight of the human element (those on and off the train). There are a couple of ludicrous plot elements and some clunky throwbacks to the long-forgotten original film but honestly it is tough to notice when you’re having this much fun. One of the most exciting, calamitous movies you’re likely to see all year, it’s time to buy a ticket and step aboard the “Bullet Train Explosion.”
“Babygirl”
Max – April 25
Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn returns to A24 with her follow up to postmodern whodunnit “Bodies Bodies Bodies” with an erotic thriller that will have you ordering a glass of milk for a complete stranger the next time you’re feeling frisky at a bar. Nicole Kidman takes a break from prestige streaming dramas to star as a CEO at a tech company who takes an inappropriate interest in a young intern (Harris Dickinson). What starts off as flirtatious interactions soon become something more serious and much darker. (There’s some BDSM elements at play here.) While never as kinky or shocking as it thinks it is, “Babygirl” is still entertaining enough, with a stellar supporting cast that includes Antonio Banderas as Kidman’s cuckolded husband Sophie Wilde (from “Talk to Me”) as Kidman’s put-upon assistant and Esther McGregor (who can also be seen in “The Room Next Door”) as Kidman and Banderas’ teenage daughter. There are moments of pure delight, including a sequence set memorably to George Michael’s “Father Figure” and the aforementioned moment when Dickinson orders a glass of milk for Kidman, that do elevate “Babygirl” above mere provocation. It also is enough to remind you of when erotic thrillers used to be regularly produced and released by major studios. Even a smaller scale version, released by A24, feels like a major gift from above.
“Havoc”
Netflix – April 25
One of the most anticipated movies of not just April but 2025 is “Havoc,” the new feature from writer/director Gareth Evans and star/produced Tom Hardy. In “Havoc,” Hardy plays a morally nebulous cop named Walker in an unnamed, urban sprawl of a city. After a drug deal that implements the mayor’s son goes horribly wrong, Walker is tasked with finding the kid and bringing him in, safe and sound. That’s easier said than done when a squad of crooked cops, some Chinese gangsters and the more stand-up police are looking for him too. Evans is something of a wunderkind, bursting onto the scene with 2011’s modern action classic “The Raid” (followed by a similarly bone-crunching sequel in 2018). But it’s been a little while since he’s made a film. In 2018 he made “Apostle,” a woefully underseen folk horror gem for Netflix and then got sidetracked by his television series “Gangs of London,” which debuted in 2020. (A third season just debuted in the UK.) And with “Havoc,” it’s good to have him back. It features all the hallmarks of his previous work, with some of the most dazzling action you’re ever likely to see, with a more streamlined narrative and even more unrelenting drive. Turn up the home sound system for this one and get ready to annoy the neighbors. This is one of the best, most blood-soaked movies of 2025.
“Mission: Impossible” 1-4
Prime Video – April 1
Prepare for the launch of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” by revisiting the first four films in the franchise. These initial films offer the most tonal variety film-to-film as Brian De Palma kicked the franchise off with a tragic espionage tale, John Woo followed that up with an action opera, J.J. Abrams made the most emotional entry with the domestic “M:I 3” and Brad Bird truly turned the series into an ensemble affair with “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.”
“Ford v Ferrari”
Prime Video – April 1
The Dad Movie-est Dad Movie to ever Dad Movie, “Ford v. Ferrari” is a blast. Christian Bale and Matt Damon star in the true story of Ford’s quest to build a racecar that could rival Ferrari in time for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Cultures clash between Bale and Damon’s characters – Bale is a headstrong driver and Damon is a headstrong designer. James Mangold of “Logan” and “A Complete Unknown” fame directs, and this thing hums.
“Patriot Games”
Paramount+ – April 1
The second Jack Ryan movie, based on the bestselling Tom Clancy novel of the same name, saw Harrison Ford stepping in for the character first essayed by Alec Baldwin in 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October,” directed by John McTiernan. (Long story short: McTiernan and Baldwin didn’t want the follow-up to involve Irish villains; they claim it was a way for the producers to get Ford, who turned down “The Hunt for Red October,” to step in anyway.) “Patriot Games,” a more visceral and R-rated approach to the character, sees Jack Ryan accidentally saving a member of the royal family from IRA terrorists while on vacation with his family. The surviving terrorists, led by a genuinely scary Sean Bean, track down Ryan and his family to exact their revenge. It’s excellent, ruthlessly efficient entertainment, with a wonderfully complex screenplay, an all-star supporting cast (including Anne Archer, Thora Birch, Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones and Richard Harris) and a tremendous score by the late, great James Horner. And if you love “Patriot Games,” Ford returned as Jack Ryan one more time, for “Clear and Present Danger” (also directed by “Patriot Games” filmmaker Phillip Noyce). Ford walked so John Krasinski could run, jump and fall down.
“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”
Paramount+ – April 1
One of the best sequels ever made, James Cameron’s 1991 film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is hailed by many as even better than its predecessor. Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as a killer robot sent from the future, only this time he’s sent to protect a young John Connor (Edward Furlong) who is destined to lead the human revolt against the machine uprising. Linda Hamilton is a full-on action hero in this follow-up, traumatized by the events of the first film in which she was told that her son was the key to humanity’s future. This film pioneered CGI characters with Robert Patrick’s T-1000 antagonist, but still manages to keep a beating human heart among all the spectacle.
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Paramount+ – April 1
One of David Fincher’s bigger swings, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” was meant to kick off an R-rated, adults-only franchise made on a budget commensurate with other blockbusters in the marketplace. Unfortunately, this was a one-and-done as Sony scrapped plans to continue this series, but “Dragon Tattoo” remains something of an epic from Fincher as he brings a cold, calculating touch to the Swedish thriller about a hacker who teams with a journalist to uncover the truth behind a decades-long disappearance.
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